


The Hyperion

by FrankenSpine



Series: Across the Stars [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Abduction, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Sex, Alien Technology, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Space, Androids, Angst, Artificial Intelligence, Betrayal, Bigotry & Prejudice, Character Death, Childbirth, Clones, Complete, Crimes & Criminals, Cyborgs, Dragons, Drama & Romance, Dwarves, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Forced Pregnancy, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Interspecies Relationship(s), Kidnapping, Lasers, M/M, Multi, Murder, Organized Crime, Philosophy, Politics, Psychological Trauma, Rape, Rape Aftermath, Secrets, Slavery, Space Battles, Space Pirates, Spaceships, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vampires, Violence, War, Weird Plot Shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-10-17 20:58:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 40
Words: 70,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17567837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankenSpine/pseuds/FrankenSpine
Summary: After wishing upon what she believes is a shooting star, Emma Swan finds herself aboard the Hyperion, the royal starship of an alien Queen from a faraway galaxy. She quickly learns of the tensions between the Queen's people and her own, but the Queen takes an interest in her and agrees to take her away from Earth forever. Adventure awaits.*(Loosely based on Guardians of the Galaxy with just a hint of Farscape)*





	1. Welcome Aboard the Hyperion

Leaning against her bedroom window, Emma sighed as she stared up at the moon. It was full. It was beautiful. Its ethereal light was flooding her dark room, bathing her skin in its equally-pale glow. Her foster-parents, the Nolans, were downstairs, looking after their _real_ children. They probably didn’t even realize she wasn’t there. If they did, they probably didn’t care. They weren’t outright abusive. Just neglectful. They rarely paid her any attention. She wasn’t really their kid, after all. They were always talking about the importance of family. It seemed she wasn’t a part of that family. She was just sort of _there._

She wished she wasn’t.

All Emma wanted was to live somewhere nice, with a kind, loving family that actually paid attention to her. She didn’t crave attention at every waking moment. She knew that would be overwhelming for everyone, especially her. She just wanted someone to acknowledge her existence, at the very least. Looking to the night sky, Emma perked up when she spotted a shooting star. She wasn’t sure if it would work, but she supposed it was worth a try. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and she made her wish.

After a moment, she opened them and peered up into the sky to look for the shooting star, but it was nowhere to be found. Maybe it disappeared when she made that wish, or maybe it was actually a comet, and had crashed somewhere. It did seem awfully close. Maybe it was close enough that she could go out and find it.

Emma, being determined as she was, opened up the window and threw out the chain of bedsheets she’d tied together. She had run away multiple times before, but of course, the Nolans never suspected a thing. They never knew when she snuck out. They probably wouldn’t have cared, anyway. She climbed slowly down the sheets and took off towards the woods the second her feet hit the ground. She could see a faint glow in the distance, and something told her to follow it.

She ran for what felt like an eternity, but the longer she ran, the dimmer the light became. Soon, the strange glow had faded altogether. She looked around, bewildered. She swore there had just been something there, high above the trees, but when she looked, she found nothing. Just the tree branches, swaying in the wind.

She hung her head in defeat, letting out a heavy sigh, and turned to go back to the Nolans’ house. However, she was stopped dead in her tracks as a blinding beam of light suddenly shone down on her, and she gasped when she felt her feet leave the ground. She looked around, panicked, but all she could see was this strange white light. She tried to move, but her body seemed to have turned against her. Her limbs wouldn’t budge. It was like she’d been paralyzed from the neck down. She tried to scream, but the sound never came.

The next thing Emma knew, she was standing in an enormous room. Everything was metallic. The walls, the ceiling, the floors, and even the furniture. At least, she assumed it was furniture. There were colorful, fluorescent lights scattered all throughout the room, flashing and blinking sporadically. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.

And it was beautiful.

“What is the meaning of this?” came the voice of a woman.

When Emma turned around, it was clear that this mysterious woman looked as angry as she sounded. The woman was tall, with long, dark hair, pointed ears, and lilac skin. She wore tight leather pants with a matching jacket and boots, all blacker than black, with a silver dragon decorating the left side of her face.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“E-Emma,” the young girl squeaked, “Emma Swan.”

The purple woman’s eyes narrowed. “How old are you, Emma Swan?”

“Thirteen, ma’am.”

“How did you get aboard my starship?”

“I— I was just walking through the woods,” Emma said quickly, “The next thing I knew, I was being pulled up by a weird light.”

The brunette searched the young girl’s eyes for any signs of deceit, but found none. She huffed, clearly annoyed, and marched over to the metallic table at the center of the room, where she punched a button on what looked like some sort of control panel.

“Computer!” the woman said, exasperated.

A blue light came out of the middle of the table, and within this blue light, a man’s face appeared. It looked like some sort of hologram.

_“Yes, Your Majesty?”_

“Who brought this child aboard?”

 _“I did, Majesty,”_ said the stoic blue face.

“What?! Why?!”

_“You expressed your desire for sustenance. I was merely following your orders. Are you not pleased?”_

“No, I am not ‘pleased!’ When I said I needed sustenance, I meant livestock! Humans are not sustenance! This girl has no business being here! Put her back where you found her and wipe her memory!”

Emma’s eyes widened. “No, wait!”

The purple woman turned quickly, narrowing her eyes at the girl. “Excuse me?”

“Please, don’t put me back there! I want to go wherever you’re going!”

“You don’t know what you’re asking, girl,” said the brunette.

“Please!” Emma said again, now in tears, “I don’t want to go back! I was in the woods because I was trying to find the star!”

The brunette was clearly puzzled. “Star?”

“The shooting star! I wished that I could find a way off of this stinking planet, and then I got sucked up in that light! Please, take me with you, whoever you are!”

“Ah,” said the brunette, “That must have been my starship. It only looks like a star from the outside. It’s a form of camouflage.” She paused for a moment, meeting Emma’s gaze with an unreadable expression. “If I take you with me, you must do exactly as I say, without question. I will not have a child hindering my mission. Do you understand, girl?”

“Not really,” Emma said bluntly.

This clearly wasn’t the right answer. The brunette started to say something, but Emma beat her to it.

“But I’ll try!”

The purple woman’s lips twitched into a faint smile, and she let out a soft chuckle.

“Very well,” she said, “but you must know that living on my ship makes you one of my people, which makes me your Queen. Listen well, Emma Swan: I am the Queen of Misthaven, and you are aboard the Hyperion, the royal battleship. I take full responsibility for you, little human. You will not leave my side unless I say otherwise. You will speak to no one without my permission. You will not go anywhere unless I tell you to go there. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Emma said quickly.

“And you will refer to me as ‘my Queen’ or ‘Your Majesty.’ Those are your only options. I trust that won’t be too complicated for you, girl?”

“No,” said Emma, “Your Majesty.”

The Queen clapped her hands together, clearly pleased. “Excellent. Come now, Emma Swan, to the Helm.”

“The Helm?”

“The front of the ship,” said the Queen, “It is where my Helmsman pilots the Hyperion.”

“So it’s like the control room?”

“I suppose you could call it that.”

“Where are you from?”

“The Misthaven Galaxy,” replied the Queen.

“Where is that, exactly? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Billions of lightyears away.”

“Won’t it take a long time to get there?”

The Queen chuckled. “Not when the ship can teleport.”

Emma was in awe. “You can do that?”

“Of course. Can’t you?”

“No. I didn’t even know it was possible.”

“Shame,” said the Queen, “You humans are far behind when it comes to technology. Your nuclear weapons are a child’s playthings compared to what my people possess.”

Emma stared up at the silver dragon on the Queen’s face. “What’s the dragon mean?”

“Pardon?”

“The dragon,” said Emma, “on the side of your face.”

“Oh.” The Queen touched the marking lightly. “Dragons are symbols of nobility and strength. I earned it when I took the throne.”

“Did it hurt?”

“Not particularly. Why?”

Emma shrugged. “I’ve always heard that tattoos are really painful.”

“You humans are just soft,” said the Queen, “Always getting your feelings hurt over every little thing. It’s quite sad, really.”

Emma was quiet for a moment as she pondered this.

The Queen eyed her curiously. “What’s on your mind, girl?”

“You’re right,” Emma said after a moment, “We can be soft— but we can also be resilient. We can be strong. Doesn’t that count for something?”

Now it was the Queen who pondered the girl’s words. “I suppose that’s a fair point,” she said, “Perhaps having you aboard will change my view of your people.”

“Do you really think so little of us?”

“Humans are a primitive species. The youngest of us all,” said the Queen, “You squabble and kill one another over different beliefs. You murder your unborn children. You care only for money and power. You don’t care for anyone but yourselves. You want what you cannot have, and yet you take it anyway, often through violence. You rape, steal, and kill. You cheat and you lie. You are selfish. You are envious. You are avaricious. You are arrogant. You think you are above all other lifeforms. That is why the rest of the universe avoids you like the plague. If you can’t even get along with each other, how do you expect to make peace with the rest of us?”

“Why haven’t you invaded us?”

“Because you are a threat to no one but yourselves,” the brunette explained, “and because you have nothing worth taking.”

“Do you see me as a threat?”

The Queen stared intensely at the girl. “No,” she said, “You are but a child. You have yet to know of your people’s sins.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” said Emma, “I know how bad people can be. Why do you think I begged you not to put me back there?”

“A fair point. You’re smarter than you look, Emma Swan. I’ll give you that.”

Emma started to say something, but her stomach roared before she had the chance. The Queen laughed and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Hungry, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” said Emma, “I missed dinner. The Nolans aren’t the best cooks.”

“The Nolans?”

“My foster-parents. They probably don’t know I’m gone. They never pay any attention to me.”

“Where are your real parents?”

Emma shrugged. “No idea. They gave me up when I was a baby. I don’t even know their names, or what they look like.”

The Queen gave her a look of sympathy. “How unfortunate. Just another reason humans are wicked. They throw away their own children like garbage.”

The brunette knelt down and lifted Emma’s chin ever so gently.

“Listen to me, Emma Swan. I may not see your people in the best light, but you are just a child, and I can tell that you are different,” she said, “I see great potential in you, little human. You could be a part of my cavalry. How does that sound?”

“But I’m only thirteen.”

“You won’t be forever,” said the Queen.

Emma hesitated. “Can I think about it?”

“Of course. Just don’t take too long.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Yes?”

“How come I can understand you? Shouldn’t you be speaking a different language?”

“I am, dear child. Being aboard the ship simply allows us to understand one another.”

“How does that work?”

“I will explain later,” said the Queen.

Once more, Emma’s stomach growled in hunger. The Queen extended her hand.

“Come. Let us go to the canteen.”

Emma took the Queen’s hand with only a moment of hesitation, and they both smiled when she did.

“Welcome aboard the Hyperion, Emma Swan.”

“Where are we headed from here?”

“My home planet,” said the Queen, _“Skráv Jangála.”_

“Skráv _what?”_

 _“Jangála._ In your language, I believe you would call it _the Enchanted Forest.”_


	2. Home

When the Queen entered the Helm after a brief visit to the canteen, her people greeted her with respect. They paused, however, when they saw the tiny human girl cowering behind her. Without so much as looking at them, the Queen made her displeasure evident.

“Think what you will of humans,” she said, “but this girl belongs to me. Anyone who dares lay so much as a finger, talon, or tendril on her will answer to me. Do I make myself clear?”

Everyone brought their fists up to their chests. _“Yes, my Queen,”_ they all said in unison.

The Queen gave a small nod. “Excellent. Carry on.”

She walked to her seat, which was raised high upon a platform in the center of the Helm, just above the Helmsman’s chair, separated only by a rail with sturdy bars. She looked to Emma and offered the faintest hint of a smile when she saw just how nervous the girl was.

“At ease, little one,” she said softly, “They will do you no harm. Sit down, if you wish.”

Emma took a seat at the Queen’s feet, watching curiously as the Helmsman punched the various, flashing buttons on the metallic panel below. In turn, the Queen watched her with mild amusement.

The naïve curiosity of a child was something the monarch had never gotten to experience, having been raised to take the throne. She’d been forced to grow up quickly, practically from the moment she left her mother’s womb. If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she envied the girl for having the chance to experience that youthful bliss.

Sensing the bewildered gazes of those in the room, the Queen gave them pointed looks, and they quickly looked away, not wishing to offend their monarch. She couldn’t exactly blame them. Never had a human set foot aboard the ship. It was undoubtedly a strange spectacle, but there was something about this girl that intrigued her. The Queen looked to Emma with mild interest.

“Tell me, girl,” she said, “what year is it on your planet?”

“1985.”

“Who is your leader?”

“President Reagan.”

“Hm. Have you no Kings? No Queens?”

“Only in England.”

The Queen was silent for a moment. “I must say, I am not quite up to date on your planet’s history. Tell me more.”

Emma turned to look at her. “What do you wanna know?”

“What do you do for entertainment?”

“Me? Or everyone else?”

“You. I care not for the rest.”

“I mostly watch movies.”

The Queen raised an eyebrow. “What are _movies?”_

“Films. Moving pictures. People act in them.”

“Like a play?”

“I guess so,” said Emma, “only better.”

“Interesting,” said the Queen, “and what ‘movies’ do you prefer, Emma Swan?”

Emma smiled. “Lots,” she said, _“Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Buckaroo Banzai, the Goonies—”_

She paused when she saw the puzzled look on the Queen’s face and laughed.

“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

The Queen pursed her lips. “Afraid not.”

“You’d just have to see them,” said Emma, “I’ve always liked science-fiction. It’s like an escape from reality. At least I thought it was. Now I’m on a real-life spaceship, going to another planet.”

“Starship,” the Queen corrected, “and if it’s an escape you want, then there is so much more I can show you than one measly ship.”

“You call this ‘measly?’ This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!”

“You can _see_ its temperature?”

“Huh? No, I mean, it’s amazing. ‘Cool’ is just a figure of speech.”

“Regardless, this is nothing,” said the Queen, “How about I make you a deal? You join my cavalry, and you get to go anywhere and everywhere in the galaxy. Doesn’t that sound generous?”

Emma’s eyes lit up. “Yeah,” she said, “I mean, _yes,_ Your Majesty.”

The Queen smiled. “Wonderful. You will begin your training once we arrive home. Helmsman, prepare to teleport. In the meantime, see if you can find any animals in the woods below— and no more abducting humans. One is enough.”

“Yes, my Queen,” replied the stoic Helmsman.

“You may want to hold onto the rail, little human,” said the Queen, “Teleportation tends to be a bit rough, especially when it’s your first time.”

Emma heeded the Queen’s warning without hesitation, earning a soft chuckle from the monarch.

“I have just located a beast, Your Majesty,” said the Helmsman.

“What sort of beast?”

With the push of a button, the holographic image of a horned creature appeared at the front of the ship.

“That’s a deer,” said Emma.

“A _deer?_ Is it edible?”

“Yes.”

“Are there any more in the area?”

“Probably. They’re kind of hard to track, though.”

The Queen grinned. “Not with our tracking system, they aren’t. Gather as many as you can, Helmsman, but leave a few for the humans. I am not _that_ cruel.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Hyperion drifted gradually over the trees, hidden in the night sky with stealth mode. The deer never saw it coming. By the time the light beam came down on them, it was too late. Soon, the Helmsman shut off the beam for good.

“I have procured ten of these creatures,” said the Helmsman, “Does this satisfy you?”

The Queen gave a small nod. “That will do,” she said, “We can always come back for more, if needed, though I would much rather avoid this planet at all costs.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. The ship is nearly ready to teleport.”

“Excellent. Launch when ready.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

A smile graced the Queen’s lips as she sat back in her chair. “Hold tight, girl. We’re going home.”

Emma’s eyes were alight with wonder. “Home,” she whispered.

Within minutes, they were in the dark void that was outer space, and in the mere blink of an eye, the Hyperion was sitting in some sort of hangar. Naturally, the room was far larger than the colossal ship, but equally-metallic. Emma seemed to have taken the whole thing surprisingly well. As the Queen led the young blonde out of the starship, she took note of the girl’s fascination with their surroundings. Her smile only widened.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Emma said, entranced by the sight of it all.

The Queen placed her hand onto the girl’s shoulder, and Emma peered up at her intently.

“Welcome to your new home, Emma Swan.”

Again, Emma whispered: _“Home.”_ And she smiled.


	3. The Apollo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations/Pronunciations:
> 
> Skráv Jangála (scrov yon gah la)- Enchanted Forest, the capital of the Misthaven Galaxy.
> 
> Vannr'ganut (von er guh noot)- Wonderland, a beautiful yet dangerous planet.
> 
> Nua'ganut (noo uh guh noot)- Neverland, a jungle planet.
> 
> Yeoran'daal (ee oh rin doll)- Arendelle, an ice planet.
> 
> Ae'jrabbi (aye ya robbie)- Agrabah, a desert planet.

_**Fifteen years later…** _

_“How is my favorite human holding up?”_

Emma grinned as the Queen’s voice came through the comm on the arm of her chair. She held down the blue button, and the holographic image of the Queen appeared.

“Doing just fine, Your Majesty. We just left the Yeoran’daal system. Personally, I’m glad to be out of there. It’s way too cold for me.”

_“Perhaps that has something to do with your lack of clothing, Captain Swan.”_

“Hey, I’ve got plenty of clothing,” Emma argued.

_“A leather breastplate and a breechcloth are not ‘plenty.’ On Ae’jrabbi, perhaps, but certainly not on Yeoran’daal!”_

“The Queen is right, Captain.”

“Shut up, tin-can!”

_“Is that your Helmsman I hear, Swan?”_

“That it is, Your Majesty,” said the Helmsman.

_“It’s good to hear from you, soldier. I trust you’re keeping her in line?”_

“I most certainly am.”

“Hey! I’m the Captain here! I’m the one keeping _you_ in line, remember?”

The others laughed, and Emma folded her arms with a huff, putting her feet up on the guard rail. Just eight months ago, Lieutenant Emma Swan of the Misthaven Cavalry was promoted to the esteemed rank of _Starship Captain—_ the only human to have ever achieved such a feat. Thus, she was provided with a ship of her very own, along with a standard crew of five, not counting herself: a Second-in-Command (or Si-Com), a Helmsman, a Technician, a Weapons Expert, and a Cook. Of course, if one were to include the ship itself, that would make it a crew of six, but most people chose not to do so. Emma Swan, however, was _not_ ‘most people.’

Captain Emma Swan, the enigmatic warrior from Earth (of all places), had kept her word to the Queen and worked day and night for fifteen strenuous years to get where she was today, and every cut, bruise, and scrape was well-worth it. Because the Queen’s ship was called the Hyperion, Emma chose to deem hers _the Apollo._

Her Si-Com was an arguably-insane man called Jefferson, from the Vannr’ganut system, otherwise known as Wonderland. He was a bit mad at times and had an unhealthy obsession with clocks and tea, but he was a great Second-in-Command, and there was no one else Emma would rather choose.

Her Helmsman was a formerly-murderous android whom she had reprogrammed into a loyal soldier for the Cavalry. He was once known as PNOKO— Positronic Networking and Operational Killing Organism— but the Captain had deemed him _August,_ for that was the month she’d spent reprogramming him. Emma had discovered him on the Junk Planet while rummaging through mountains of old starship parts. She always had been fascinated by machines. Whoever had created the android clearly regretted their decision. Why else would they abandon him on the Junk Planet? It was for this reason that Emma took pity on the android, instead of fearing him. He had been thrown away by his creator, just like she had.

Her Technician— not that she really needed one, being a total gearhead— was called Lilith, and hailed from the Forbidden Regions of the Misthaven Galaxy. Like Emma, Lilith was quite the hothead (being a Draconian and all) , which is what often caused them to bicker, but at the same time, it also brought them closer together. The Draconian woman never spoke of her past, her family, or what led her to join the Cavalry, but Emma wasn’t one to pry. Some stones were better left unturned.

Emma’s Weapons Expert was a man named Baelfire from the Nua’ganut system, also known as Neverland. Baelfire could use any weapon imaginable, but his preferred weapon was a gun— or rather, _two_ guns. Solar rifles, to be exact. Lunar rifles were good, too. Like Lilith, he didn’t say much (if anything) about his past. This came as no surprise to the Captain, as she’d heard many horrifying things about that particular planet, and made sure to avoid it at all costs.

The ship’s Cook was a young brunette from Skráv Jangála named Ruby, though most people called her _Red_ on account of her crimson skin and eyes, as well as the streak of red in her hair. Emma liked to think of her as a Werewolf-Centaur. She was a giant wolf from the waist down, rather than a horse. It was quite unsettling, to be honest, which was why she chose to stay behind the counter more often than not, so as to hide her freakish lower body.

And last but not least, there was the ship and its artificial intelligence. Its computer. Sure, Emma could have chosen to call it ‘Computer.’ Most people did— but again, Emma Swan was not ‘most people.’ The Apollo’s computer was called Ziggy (named, of course, after her childhood idol, Ziggy Stardust).

The crew of the Apollo had spent the past eight months hunting down criminals all throughout Misthaven, and were only just now returning to Skráv Jangála. Needless to say, they were more than ready to settle down for a bit. With the exception of Emma, that is.

“What’s our next mission, Your Majesty?” she asked.

 _“Surely you want to rest a while before heading out again,”_ said the Queen.

“My thirst for adventure has yet to be quenched,” replied the Captain.

The Queen chuckled. _“I should have known. Very well, Captain. If it’s adventure you seek, then perhaps you should look into the crew of the Karnstein.”_

“The Karnstein? Never heard of it.”

_“It was issued to Killian Jones, a former Starship Captain who went AWOL, along with his entire crew. He only recently showed back up on our radar. He and his crew have been hijacking other starships and pillaging the surrounding systems. I was going to have someone else track him down, but I know you would never forgive me if I didn’t let you have your fun. Just a warning, Captain: Jones and his crew are bloodthirsty creatures from the Forbidden Regions. They are unpredictable. You must never let your guard down around them.”_

“So you’re saying they’re space pirates?”

_“That is correct.”_

“And they’re vampires?”

_“Essentially, yes.”_

Emma smirked. “Does that make them _vampirates?”_

_“Vamp— really, Captain?”_

“I’ve always wanted to fight space pirates,” said Emma, “It’s even cooler knowing they’re vampires.”

_“There is nothing ‘cool’ about vampires, Captain. They have the tendency to go rogue. Why do you think I stopped allowing them into my cavalry? You need to take this seriously, Swan. If you can’t do that, then I will give someone else the chance.”_

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Your Majesty, there’s no need to be hasty. I can be serious,” Emma insisted.

_“You had better be. In the meantime, I will need to speak with you in private, Captain. I believe the two of us have some catching up to do.”_

Emma smiled. “Looking forward to it, Your Majesty.”

_“Alright, Captain Swan. I will greet you when you arrive.”_

“See you then.”

The comm clicked off, and the hologram vanished. Emma let out a heavy sigh as she leaned back in her seat.

“Prepare to teleport,” she grumbled.

The holographic face of Ziggy appeared from the arm of her chair, flickering and pulsing as it came into view.

_“Is something wrong, Captain?”_

“I guess I’m just feeling homesick,” said Emma, “It’s got me feeling pretty down, to be honest.”

_“Would you like me to play some of your Earth music? That always cheers you up.”_

“Go for it, Z.”

_“Any requests?”_

Emma smiled. “I think we both know what I need to hear.”

The face vanished, and within seconds, soft music began resonating all throughout the Apollo. The Captain’s smile only grew wider, and she drummed her fingers along to the steady beat.

_‘Ground Control to Major Tom. Ground Control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on. Ground Control to Major Tom. Commencing countdown, engines on. Check ignition, and may God’s love be with you….'_

“Now that’s truly a masterpiece. Have you ever heard anything so beautiful?” asked Emma.

“Only for the past eight months,” replied August.

“Hopefully the boys in the Brig will learn to lighten up a bit.”

“Why is that, Captain?” August inquired.

“Don’t you know? Music is the key.”

“The key? To what?”

“To bringing the universe together.”


	4. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update.

The Queen was already standing at the entrance to the hangar when the Apollo appeared on its designated landing pad, completely dwarfed by the Hyperion. She smiled when she saw the blonde Captain step down out of the starship, followed by the rest of the crew. Once they were out, a squad of cavaliers marched onto the Apollo to retrieve the prisoners from the Brig.

Emma was quick to return the Queen’s smile, pulling the brunette into a tight embrace. Had anyone else tried this, the Queen would have had them executed on sight, but with Emma, it was different.

“It’s good to see you again, Your Majesty,” Emma said with a grin.

“Likewise, Captain Swan.”

The Queen pulled away to get a better look at the blonde’s attire. “What in the world are you wearing? You look like a barbarian. You’re a Captain, not a savage.”

“Yeah? Well I happen to like it,” said Emma, “Kinda makes me feel like He-Man.”

The Queen just shook her head. “You and your references,” she uttered, turning and walking back into the palace.

Emma was quick to follow. “Oh, come on, Your Majesty! Are you honestly telling me that after all this time, you still don’t appreciate pop culture? Not even a little bit?”

“I don’t have time for ‘pop culture,’ Captain. I’m a Queen, and a bit more refined.”

Emma snorted as she followed the Queen up a winding set of stairs, leading to the brunette’s bedchamber. The Queen held the door open for her, shutting it quietly once she was inside.

“So,” she said, turning around slowly, “what was it you wanted to—”

The Captain was cut off when the Queen grabbed either side of her face and pulled her into a searing kiss. It was rough. It was hungry, and not the least bit romantic. It was an act of dominance. Emma may have been in charge of her crew, but at the end of the day, she was still subservient to the Queen.

“My, how I’ve missed you,” the brunette husked, “You have no idea how lonely I’ve been without my favorite human by my side.”

Emma struggled to find her voice. “I— I missed you, too,” she said softly, “It was hard, you know? Being away for eight months. You think you were the only one who felt lonely? I know I had an entire crew with me, but I still felt like I was alone, because you weren’t there with me. I tried to focus on hunting down those criminals, I really did, but all I could think about was how much I needed you. Aside from my crew, you’re all I’ve got. I don’t think I’ll ever be closer to anyone than I am to you, _Regina.”_

The Queen was stunned by the Captain’s confession. She placed a hand on the blonde’s plated shoulder.

“Well I suppose that’s good, then,” she said, “because I will be joining you on your quest to take down the Karnstein.”

Emma blinked in surprise. “You will? Why?”

“Because, it is my battleships that Jones and his men have been attacking, and I feel personally affected by this. I believe that if your crew and mine worked together, we would make an unstoppable team. Jones would never see it coming. Besides, I can’t bear another eight months without my _favorite human._ What do you say, Swan?”

The Queen extended her hand, and Emma was quick to accept it with a grin.

“I’d say that sounds awesome.”

The Queen shook her head in mild amusement. “That isn’t quite the word I would use, but I suppose it’s appropriate.”

“Come on, Regina, admit it,” Emma said playfully, “You love my vocabulary.”

The Queen folded her arms in defiance. “I will admit no such thing.”

Once again, Emma pulled the brunette into a tight embrace. “It’s good to be back.”

The Queen slowly returned the gesture. “It’s good to have you here with me,” she paused, _“Emma.”_


	5. Trek to Atta'lea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Triple update*
> 
> Translations/Pronunciations:
> 
> Atta'lea (at uh lay uh)- Atlantis, an ocean planet
> 
> Pri'miteas (pre mit ay us)- Prometheus, a volcanic planet

Just two days later, the Queen was setting out in the Hyperion to locate the Karnstein. Within her ship’s docking bay was the Apollo, freshly waxed and given a new coat of paint, per Emma’s request. The crew of the Apollo was receiving some unsavory looks from most of the Hyperion’s crew. Emma didn’t appreciate this, but said nothing. She didn’t want any fights breaking out between her crew and the Queen’s. They were supposed to be fighting the Vampirates, not each other. The Queen, however, noticed almost immediately that something was bothering her.

“What troubles you, Captain?” the brunette inquired softly.

“I didn’t want to say anything,” Emma said reluctantly, “but I fear there may be tension between your crew and mine. The last thing I want is to make enemies of each other.”

“Worry not. I will ensure that this never happens. I give you my word, as Queen.”

Emma gave a faint smile. “Thanks, Your Majesty.” Her stomach roared with hunger. “I think I’ll head to the canteen for a bite.”

The Queen smirked a bit. “Try not to take too long.”

Emma chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”

She made her way out of the Helm and down the long corridor towards the canteen. Not even halfway there, she spotted Red and August whispering to one another at the end of the hall. They paused when they noticed her, which Emma found a little suspicious.

“What, uh— what’s going on, guys?”

The two shared a strange look before turning back to her. Red glanced around quickly, seemingly nervous, before stepping closer to Emma.

“Something isn’t right here, Captain,” she said quietly.

Emma frowned a bit. “You mean with the Queen’s crew?”

Red nodded.

“Don’t worry. The Queen told me they wouldn’t try anything.”

“No,” Red insisted, “I mean there’s something physically wrong with the crew. I smelled it, and August’s sensors picked it up.”

“What exactly is wrong, then?”

“We don’t know,” said August, “but Jefferson and the others are waiting for you in the Apollo. He’s called a meeting. He said it was urgent.”

“Well, it’s going to have to wait,” said Emma, “I need to eat. I haven’t eaten since this morning, and all I had was a few scraps of bread.”

“We have food on the ship, Captain,” August told her.

“Yeah, but I told the Queen I’d come right back. I’m not about to go back on my word. Not with her.”

“Why do you care what she thinks? She doesn’t own you. Who cares if you’re gone just a little longer?”

“I care because she’s the Queen,” Emma said firmly, “She’s also my friend, and no, she doesn’t ‘own’ me, but like I said, I don’t go back on my word. You’re free to join me. If not, just go back to the ship. I’ll meet you there later. Just sit tight. I shouldn’t be long.”

With that, the Captain continued on to the canteen and walked up to the window where the Hyperion’s cook, an older woman with four eyes, was stirring something in a pot. The old woman regarded her curiously, but not with malice like the other crewmates.

“What can I do for you, Captain?”

Emma smiled. “I’d like some of whatever’s in that pot, if you don’t mind. It smells amazing.”

The old woman seemed pleasantly surprised. “Why thank you,” she said, “It’s not often that people actually show some gratitude to the cook. They don’t know I spit in their stew. _Don’t tell anyone that.”_

Emma laughed awkwardly. “I won’t. Just don’t go spitting in mine.”

The old woman chuckled. “Don’t worry. I only do that to the people I don’t like.”

This came as a surprise to the Captain. “You like me?”

“Of course,” said the old woman, “I remember when you were just a little girl, coming in here with Her Majesty for a bite to eat. Look at you now, a Starship Captain. You’ve really made a name for yourself, you know. I can see there’s good in you, girlie. I can see you’ve got potential. That’s the perk of having four eyes. My name’s Eudora, by the way, but you can call me Granny. Most people do.”

She didn’t explain why that was, but Emma didn’t ask. Granny retrieved a large bowl and filled it with the simmering stew. Emma accepted it graciously, and her mouth watered as the heavenly aroma filled her nostrils.

“This looks as delicious as it smells,” said the Captain, “What all is in here?”

“Just some kraken, some Ae’jrabbi viper, and a bit of chimera with a hint of red fire flakes, imported from the Pri’miteas system.”

Emma smiled. “It’s like gumbo, then. _Space gumbo.”_

“Pardon?”

“Gumbo,” said Emma, “It’s an Earth dish.”

“Oh. Well, if you don’t mind, maybe you could give me the recipes for some of these Earth dishes. It’s always nice to try something different.”

Emma’s smile only widened. “Amen to that.”

“Let me know how the stew tastes, Captain.”

“Will do,” Emma said as she went to sit at the nearby table.

As was customary for the people of the Misthaven Galaxy, the Captain lifted the bowl to her lips, forgoing a spoon, and drank it slowly, both to avoid burning her tongue too badly and to savor the taste. It was by far the best thing she’d ever tasted since leaving Earth. If she was being honest with herself, she missed pizza, Chinese food, and donuts, but she would much rather spend the rest of her days here than go back.

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how things were playing out on the infamous Blue Planet. Had the humans completely destroyed themselves yet? Emma knew she was human. There was no changing that. She simply denounced the planet she had once inhabited, along with its people. Those were not her people. That was not her home. Her home was here in Misthaven, and _these_ were her people.

When she finished her stew, the Captain rose from the table, returned the metallic bowl to Granny, and thanked the old woman for the fantastic meal. Then, she made her way back into the corridor, finding it empty, and walked into the Helm to greet the Queen. She received a few quick glances from the Queen’s crew, but their eyes held fear rather than prejudice. This confused her, but she tried to brush it off as nothing.

“Did you get your fill, Captain?” asked the Queen.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Have you found the Vampirates?”

“Yes. An alert just came up a few moments ago. The Karnstein has just entered the Atta’lea system. We are preparing to teleport as we speak. You will want to sit down for this, Captain.”

Emma smiled. “Just like old times, huh? Want me to sit in the floor again?”

The Queen chuckled, gesturing to the empty chair to her right. “Take a seat, Captain Swan. You will serve as my Si-Com for this mission.”

“What about Kathryn?”

“She is at home with her husband. They are expecting a child. I cannot, in good conscience, bring a pregnant woman onto a battleship. In the meantime, I need you to take her place. Can you do that, Captain?”

“Of course.”

“Excellent,” said the Queen.

“The ship is nearly ready to teleport, Your Majesty,” said the Helmsman.

The Queen nodded. “Launch when ready.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

The Helmsman pulled back a long lever, and within an instant, the entire ship was suddenly entering the Atta’lea system. It came as no surprise to Emma that a bunch of pirates would want to invade an ocean planet. If things went well for her, she would have the chance to fulfill one of her many childhood dreams.

“Your Majesty, we are receiving a message from the King of Atta’lea.”

“Put him through.”

The Helmsman pushed a blue button on the panel below, and the holographic image of a man with a trident appeared before the crew.

_“Queen Regina,”_ said the King. He was visibly angry. _“What have my people done to warrant an invasion? First those bloodthirsty monsters, and now you? Does our treaty mean nothing to you?”_

“At ease, Poseidon. Those bloodthirsty monsters are wanted criminals. We have simply come to apprehend them. This is not an invasion on my part, I assure you. Let there be no ill will between us. I would much rather break bread, if that is not too much to ask.”

The King was silent for a moment. _“Very well,”_ he said at last, _“but if so much as_ one _of my subjects is harmed by you or those monsters, there will be blood on all sides.”_

“I will do everything I can to ensure that doesn’t happen,” said the Queen, “but in order to do that, I am going to need your help.”

The King gave a firm nod. _“Anything to keep my people safe.”_

“That trident of yours can pierce steel, can it not?”

Poseidon let out a hearty laugh. _“My trident can pierce the Heavens themselves!”_

“If you throw it into one of the Karnstein’s turbines, that should be enough to bring the ship down. Those criminals will have no choice but to scatter like the roaches they are. After that, my soldiers will apprehend them, and you will not have to see any of us ever again. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

_“It sounds wonderful,”_ replied the King, _“Very well. Just try keeping the destruction to a minimum.”_

“I will do my best. I will repay you for any and all damages.”

The King’s eyes narrowed. _“You had better keep your word, Regina.”_

“Come now, Poseidon. When have I ever gone back on my word?”

There was a pause on the King’s end. _“Do not make me regret this decision.”_


	6. A Heart and a Brain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: character death*

“Your Majesty?” Emma asked softly.

“Yes, Captain?”

“Why does Atta’lea have its own King?”

“Because this region is just out of my jurisdiction. Poseidon and I made a peace treaty many years ago.”

Anything else Emma might have said was cut off by the Helmsman.

“I’ve locked onto the Karnstein, Your Majesty.”

“Prepare to fire, but keep it above the water.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

The Helmsman activated the cannons and got the Karnstein in the center of the crosshairs.

“Fire,” the Queen said calmly.

With a mere push of a button, the Helmsman sent a torrent of deadly lasers straight into the crimson starship, and just as he did, Poseidon emerged from the water below and hurled his silver trident directly into one of the ship’s turbines. It reappeared in his hand just moments later, completely unscathed, and the King watched with amusement was the Karnstein crashed onto a nearby island in a fiery heap. All parties watched in anticipation, waiting for the pirates to emerge from the flames, but none ever did.

The Queen’s eyes narrowed. “Something isn’t right here,” she uttered.

There were two loud clicks from behind her and Emma, causing them both to gasp in horror and realization.

 _“Right you are, Your Majesty,”_ came a hauntingly-familiar voice.

The brunette gasped, but didn’t move. _“Jones!”_ she hissed, “How did you get aboard my ship?!”

The pirate laughed. “Simple. Your crew let me.”

“What?! You _traitors!_ How could you do this to me?! I am your Queen!”

The crewmates stepped forward, all aiming their rifles at her and Emma. They did _not_ look happy.

“We’ve had enough of this, Your Majesty!” declared a blue-skinned man, “It was bad enough that you made this _disgusting_ _human_ a Captain, but then you had the nerve to put her in charge of us! We don’t take orders from Earth scum! We need a strong leader! You’ve gone soft! We were going to kill your pet human while you were away, but then you said you were bringing her along, and the plan changed! Now we’re going to have to kill you, too. It pains me to do this, but some sacrifices need to be made.”

The Queen was seething, but she didn’t move. “I’ll have your head for this,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Don’t you touch her!” Emma demanded, “You wanna kill me? Fine! But you leave her out of this, you back-stabbing piece of shit!”

The blue man aimed his rifle at her. “Shut your mouth, you filthy human! I will not take orders from the likes of you!”

“Swan,” the Queen said quietly, not once taking her eyes off of the man’s gun, “Do not worry about me. My life is ensured. You have but one. Do not throw it away on my behalf.”

Emma was bewildered. “But, Your Majesty—”

“Quiet, Swan!” the brunette snapped.

Emma promptly shut her mouth, but glanced around fearfully at all the guns being aimed at her. Even more alarming was the barrel of a laser rifle pressed to the back of her head. Tears streaked her cheeks against her will. The blue man snorted when he saw this.

“Look at you, _human,”_ he sneered, “crying like a child! Whimpering like a hound! And for what? Your sad existence? You’re pathetic! You’re a disgrace! You don’t deserve to live! You never did! You don’t deserve to call yourself Captain!”

Emma was fuming. Her body was shaking in fear and fury. She was gritting her teeth in sheer rage, glaring at the man with a burning hatred in her bloodshot eyes.

“It’s not my life I’m crying over,” she said darkly, “It’s _hers.”_

The Queen was stunned by this revelation. She wanted to turn her head, but she knew that if she moved so much as a muscle, she’d be executed on sight.

“Swan?” she murmured.

“Yeah?”

“My life isn’t worth crying over,” said the Queen, “and it certainly isn’t worth dying for.”

She shot up suddenly, grabbing the gun from her belt, and fired a laser directly into the blue man’s brain, killing him instantly. She spun around and shot at the man behind her, a dwarfish man with a red hat, and they both fired at each other. She hit him between the eyes, but unfortunately, he had managed to shoot a scorching hole through her stomach. She hissed in pain, but continued on, firing her gun at the other crewmates as they shot at her. Luckily, she took them all out first, including the Helmsman. Not wanting to sit there and do nothing, though knowing that if she moved, she would be killed, Emma chose to press the little red button on the arm of the chair. This would send a distress signal to any nearby ships, as well as the comm center back home. However, despite her subtle attempt to reach for the button, she heard the distinct click of the rifle pressed to the back of her head. She froze. Her eyes were wide with terror.

“Don’t even think about it, _human.”_

“Get away from her!” shouted the Queen.

She lifted up her gun, but her arm fell, and so did her weapon. She was burned and bloody. The lasers had seared grotesque holes through her flesh. Her blood was a much deeper purple than her skin. It dripped from her searing wounds. She was panting heavily, clutching at her stomach with just one hand. The other was hanging limply, and she was swaying a bit as she struggled to maintain her balance. She breathed heavy, shaky breaths, choking on her blood as it oozed from her lips. She grit her teeth as the pain ripped through her.

“Emma,” she rasped, “I’m— not going to last much longer. You need to get to your ship and get back to Skráv Jangála. Go to the man called Whale. He will know what to do.”

Emma’s tears continued to fall. “W-What?” she whispered, “But, Regina—”

“Now, Emma,” the Queen said firmly, “That’s an order.”

She grabbed her gun in one swift movement, but before she could squeeze the trigger, the pirate fired a red laser straight through her heart. Her eyes widened, yet the life drained from them along with the color from her face as her body hit the ground, broken and bloody. She took one final breath as she locked eyes with Emma, and then she was gone.

_“REGINA!”_

What happened next was all a bit fuzzy. Emma vaguely recalled flipping around and grabbing the rifle from the pirate’s murderous hands, screaming obscenities and wailing in agony as she used it to bash his head in. She hoisted the Queen’s body up over her shoulder and charged down the corridor like a one-woman stampede, shooting down every last pirate and cavalier she came across. She paused, only for a moment, when she saw one of the pirates emerge from the canteen, grabbing Eudora by the arm and pushing the terrified old woman up against the wall.

“NO!” Emma screamed.

She blew the pirate’s head clean off, leaving the old woman mortified. Emma was certain she’d told Granny to come with her, but her memory was hazy. The next thing she knew, she was running onto the ship, beyond frantic, and the Apollo was launching away from the Hyperion. Afterwards, Emma cried openly and endlessly over the Queen’s corpse.

Sometime later— she wasn’t sure how long, exactly— Emma found herself in the psych ward, sitting on an old cot with her knees pulled up to her chest and her head hung in shame. It was her fault. She should have listened to her crew. Maybe then she would have seen the whole thing coming. But if she hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t have been able to protect her Queen. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t been much use even when she was at the Queen’s side. She’d allowed the Queen to be killed. She’d been thinking of her own life, rather than Regina’s, the only life that truly mattered.

 _“Captain?”_ It was Red.

Emma couldn’t bring herself to meet the brunette’s worried gaze. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you dare apologize. I’m the one who should be apologizing,” said Emma, “but it’s too late for that, now. She’s gone, Red. Regina is dead, and it’s all my fault.”

Red frowned. “No it isn’t,” she said, “It’s the fault of the crew and those dirty pirates. You had nothing to do with this, Captain, and you know it. Don’t blame yourself. I know the Queen would hate to see you like this.”

“Well that doesn’t matter anymore, because she isn’t here! And I _do_ blame myself! I should be in the brig with the rest of those criminals! I deserve it! I could have protected her, but I didn’t! I let a fucking gun stop me! I could have done _something!_ Anything! Sure, I’d have lost my life in the process, but there is nothing I wouldn’t do for that woman! Lord knows she’s done everything for me! I owe her my life! But now all I can do is pay the price of my actions. One of the crewmen told me I didn’t deserve to call myself Captain. I didn’t want to believe it at the time, but I see now that he was right.”

“Captain, listen to yourself! You’re grieving, and that’s perfectly normal! But this was NOT your fault! The footage from the ship has already been reviewed by the higher-ups. You’re innocent. No one is blaming you for this but yourself.”

Emma slowly raised her head and met the brunette’s concerned gaze with a look of utter horror.

“There’s footage?” she whispered.

“Of course. Probably for this very reason.”

“I need to see it,” Emma said, rising quickly from the bed.

“Are you sure? It seems like that’s the last thing you need.”

“I have to know who all was involved,” Emma said, rushing past the brunette, “The least I can do is get justice for her!”

“Is it really justice you want? Or is it _revenge?”_

The Captain paused, turning slowly to face Red. There was no longer sadness in her eyes. There was only murderous intent.

“Is there a difference?”

She walked away before Red had the chance to respond. She eventually made her way to the comm center, startling the guard as she stormed inside.

“Captain Swan? A-Aren’t you supposed to be in the psych ward?”

“I checked myself out,” Emma said bitterly, “I need you to show me the footage from the Hyperion.”

The guard hesitated. “Alright, Captain, but it’s quite gruesome.”

“No,” Emma said firmly, “It will never be as gruesome as witnessing it firsthand. I was there. You’re just sitting here behind your monitor, safe and sound, without a care in the world. Now show me the damn footage.”

“O-Of course. Right away, Captain.”

The guard pulled up the incriminating footage. The man who killed the Queen was indeed Killian Jones. Emma supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised. ‘Kill’ was in his name, after all. The Captain watched with hatred in her eyes as Jones shot down the Queen. Just moments later, she witnessed herself bashing his smug face in. He had been smirking when he murdered Regina. That was what enraged Emma the most. Her fists were tight and trembling with uncontrollable rage. It was in that moment that she remembered what Regina had said, as it had just played back in the footage before that _bastard_ killed her in cold blood.

_‘Go to the man called Whale.’_

“Do you know where I can find this 'Whale' guy?”

The guard froze. “Y-You want to see _him?”_

“Why the hell do you think I asked?” Emma snapped.

“He— He’s in Sector 108,” the guard said apprehensively, “You need clearance to go down there!”

Emma scoffed. “I’m a fucking _Captain._ I’d say that’s all the clearance I need.”

She stormed out of the comm center and took the nearest pod down to Sector 108. After a minute or two, the door opened and she stepped out into a dark chamber, lit only by an eerie, green glow coming from somewhere behind the mountains of scrap metal and old machines. It was almost as bad as the Junk Planet, but at least it didn’t reek of sentient mold and toxic fumes.

“Hello?” she called, “Whale?”

She gasped when a hand slapped over her mouth, silencing her.

“Keep your voice down!” came the angry voice of a man. He waited a moment before pulling his hand away. “Why are you here?” he asked bitterly.

“I just came here because—”

Emma turned to face him, exasperated, but paused when she saw the man’s face.  Nearly the entire left side of his head was fitted with rusted machinery. In place of his eye was a telescoping lens, like something taken from an old camera. It extended towards her and he looked her up and down slowly. She struggled to find her voice again.

“I’m here because the Queen told me to find a man called Whale, right before she….”

Emma couldn’t bring herself to finish that statement. It was too painful.

“Well, you’ve found him,” said the man, “Right this way.”

Emma followed after him, confused. “Wait, so _you’re_ Whale?”

“Was that not clear?”

“I’ve never seen you before.”

“Surely you’ve heard the rumors. Me, the big bad cyborg of Sector 108. I’m kind of an urban legend around these parts. Some say I’m a ghost. Some say I don’t exist. The rest just don’t care. They have better things to worry about.”

“I only found out about you a few hours ago.”

“Hm. Pity. If the Queen told you about me, then that must mean she’s died again,” Whale said casually.

“Yes, she— wait, what? Did you say _again?”_

“I did,” replied the cyborg, “Didn’t she tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“As I’m sure you’re aware, Captain, Her Majesty has a lot of enemies, and they have all assassinated her at one point or another— or at least, they’ve attempted it. There’s a reason people call her the Immortal.”

“She’s not immortal!” Emma snapped, “I just watched her die!”

“And now,” said Whale, “you shall watch her live again.”

Emma frowned. “What?”

“She really didn’t mention it to you? Interesting. You were closer to her than anyone. I imagined she would have at least told you.”

“Told me _what?!”_

Whale turned to face her once more. “I’ve been cloning her for nearly two-hundred years,” he said, “and now, I shall do it again.”

Emma gaped at him in shock and disbelief. “She— She’s a _clone?”_

Whale gave a small nod. “Correct.”

“She’s having you clone her so she can stay in power?”

“Foolish girl. She never wanted to be Queen. This life was forced upon her by her mother, the former ruler of Misthaven. I must say, Regina is a far better Queen than her mother ever was. My sole purpose in life is to create clones. I clone deceased soldiers, and I clone Her Majesty. It is a very time-consuming process, but I find it is well worth the effort.”

“How does that work, exactly? Wouldn’t people notice if the Queen kept being replaced by a child, who grew up to look and act exactly like the last one?”

“The clones undergo hyper-development,” said Whale, “I age them rapidly, right up to the way they looked when they died. It gives the illusion that they were never dead to begin with, and they carry on as if nothing happened.”

“Wait, so they remember their past lives?”

“Of course.”

“How?”

Whale smiled, and it was a smile Emma hoped she would never see again for as long as she lived.

“All it takes is a heart and a brain.”


	7. Rebirth

_“Your Majesty?”_

_“Yes, little one?”_

_“Do you really think I could have my own starship?”_

_“If you work hard enough for it, then yes.”_

_“Even though I’m human?”_

_The Queen patted Emma’s head playfully. “What you are is_ mine, _dear girl. You became mine the moment you begged me to take you away from that miserable planet. This is your home now. Here, with me. These are your people. I am your Queen, and you are mine, Emma Swan, now and forever.”_

_It wasn’t much longer before the Queen decided to make that declaration official. At just fourteen years-old, Emma Swan received her first tattoo. At least, that was the nicest way of putting it. In truth, she was branded with the Queen’s insignia. A large dragon over her heart. It wasn’t silver like the Queen’s, but entirely black. This was also the day when Emma began training as an apprentice with a Technician by the name of Gus. It was he who sparked her fascination with machinery and the precision that went into building it._

_Emma grew up before the Queen’s eyes, blossoming from a cherub-faced girl into a hale and hearty young woman with the strength of an ox. Despite her physical strength and her knack for building and repairing machines, she still seemed to have the mentality and the eating habits of a child, and then there was her unusual taste in what she_ insisted _was music._

_The Queen still refused to admit she enjoyed it._

_It was only when Emma reached her seventeenth birthday that the Queen noticed just how beautiful she was. Of course, she’d been a pretty young girl (for a human), but this was different. This was something else entirely._

_For the first time in her many lives, the Queen found herself lusting after the human girl. She tried to deny her feelings at first, but it wasn’t long before she realized she couldn’t fight it anymore, and so, one evening, she’d had Emma sent up to her private quarters, and the second the blonde closed the door, the Queen tossed her silk robe aside, exposing her curvaceous, lilac figure, and she seduced her favorite human._

_While it was the first time the Queen had taken the human woman to bed, it certainly wasn’t the last. They never mentioned it, not even to each other. They simply shared the occasional, knowing glance and went about their business. In her final moments aboard the Hyperion, the Queen found herself wishing she could tell the Captain how she truly felt, but the words were like acid on her tongue, and she could not bring herself to say them. Although she knew she would be back in a week’s time, she feared what Emma might do in her absence. That was why she needed Emma to know about Whale. It was the one secret she’d kept from the blonde._

_Well, aside from—_

The Queen awoke with a gasp. She looked around, startled, finding herself floating— once again— in a cylindrical tank, filled to the brim with the bright green liquid that Whale used for hyper-development. She was as naked as the day she was born. _All of them._ She expected to see the cyborg staring at her from the other side of the glass, but instead, she found Emma. The blonde’s tearful eyes were alight with hope and awe.

Emma slowly approached the glass, pressing her hand against it gently. The Queen’s lilac hand reached out and touched the other side. They were so close, and yet so far away. Emma smiled despite her tears, and she was sure the Queen was as well, but it was impossible to tell with the black oxygen mask covering the brunette’s nose and mouth.

Whale stepped out from the shadows, walking calmly to the control panel nearby, and pulled a switch. Within seconds, the green liquid began draining away through the holes in the bottom of the tank. Soon it was gone, and the Queen stood up on shaky legs, propping herself up against the glass. She reached up with a trembling hand and removed the oxygen mask. She took a deep breath and met Emma’s hopeful gaze with a halfhearted smile. Just moments later, the tank opened up, and she gasped when she lost balance. Thankfully, Emma was close enough to catch her.

“Emma,” she murmured, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you apologize, Regina,” Emma said as her eyes glistened with tears, “I’m the one who owes you an apology.”

The Queen clung tightly to the Captain. Looking up at Emma, she opened her mouth to speak, but Whale beat her to it.

“You need to get cleaned up, Your Majesty,” said the cyborg, “King Poseidon has been demanding an audience with you, and we cannot stall him much longer.”

The Queen sighed. “Very well,” she said, “but first, I must speak with the Captain. Come, Emma. We have much to discuss.”

Emma shifted uncomfortably. “I’ll say.”

She followed the brunette into the pod, making their way up to the Queen’s bedchamber and entering through the side port. Neither of them said a word until they left the pod. It was the Queen who broke the tense silence.

“Emma, I—”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Emma asked bitterly.

Regina slowly turned to the blonde with a look of remorse. “I wanted to,” she said, “but this is not something I can tell just anyone.”

Emma frowned. “But I’m not _just anyone,_ remember? I thought you had learned to trust me by now, Regina.”

“I do trust you, Emma, but you, of all people, should know that trusting others is not easy for me,” said the Queen, “I have lived many lives, and each one has been stolen away from me by those seeking to overthrow me. That is why I have done all that I can to keep the cloning a secret. If the wrong people found out, they would undoubtedly use this against me.”

“You honestly think I would tell anyone you’re a clone?”

“I don’t know, Emma, _would you?_ What else would you tell them?”

Emma sighed in defeat. “I don’t know,” she said, “but my crew saw your body, and there is footage of you being killed. Tell me the truth, Regina. Has this happened before? Have pirates boarded your ship?”

“No,” said the brunette, “nor has my own crew betrayed me.” She placed a firm hand on Emma’s shoulder. “I don’t know who I can trust anymore, Swan. For all I know, my entire cavalry is plotting my demise. I need you by my side, Captain. Right now, you’re all I’ve got.”

Emma pulled her into an embrace. “I’ll always be with you, Regina.”

The Queen reluctantly returned the gesture. “Thank you,” she murmured, “Emma.” 


	8. Ashes to Ashes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alien term(s):
> 
> Vanguard- a person from the planet Vannr'ganut, AKA Wonderland. All Vanguards have the ability to absorb and redirect energy, no matter how nuclear.

“Mark me, would you, Swan?”

“Huh?”

“My mark. I need to have my face branded again before I speak with Poseidon.”

“Oh, sure.”

Emma opened up a panel in the wall and retrieved the branding tool. She returned to the vanity, where the Queen was seated with her hair pulled back into a long, tight braid. Emma quickly pulled up the image of the Queen’s silver dragon insignia on the handheld monitor, as it was the only one in the file, and lasered it onto the brunette’s lilac face. The Queen blinked a time or two, but otherwise did not react. It seemed this truly didn’t bother her, after all. It was over in less than a minute.

“Thank you,” the Queen said softly.

Emma smiled. “No problem.”

She offered her hand to the monarch, who accepted it graciously.

“Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“Should anyone ask, just tell them Whale healed me with one of his machines. Don’t mention the cloning. This can _not_ get out. Do you understand?”

Emma nodded. “I promise I won’t say anything.”

“Good. Now come along. I have to meet with the King, and I would feel much better with you by my side.”

Emma squeezed the Queen’s hand gently. “I told you, Regina, I’ll always be with you.”

The Queen tensed, and the Captain was quick to take note of this.

“You okay?”

“My life is ensured, and has been for a long time,” said the Queen, “but I could have yours ensured as well. That way we truly could be together forever. Is that something you would want?”

Emma took both the Queen’s hands in hers.

“I’d do anything to spend eternity with you,” she said softly, “You’re all I’ve got, Regina. You’re more than just my Queen. You’re my everything. You’re my mentor. My best friend. You were once my guardian, and now I’m yours. Before I knew you could be brought back, I very nearly took my own life, because a life without you just isn’t worth living. I love you, Regina.”

The Queen was visibly taken aback. She tried to swallow, but her throat was dry, and she couldn’t quite find her words.

“I— I—”

Emma offered a knowing smile. “It’s okay,” she assured, “I know it’s hard for you to admit. You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to. I know you care about me. Why else would you have put up with me for all these years? You’re the only one who’s ever wanted me, Regina. So thank you. For everything.”

The two walked side by side down the long corridor towards the conference room, where a large squad was awaiting them. Emma stood just off to the side of the Queen, watching the other cavaliers like a hawk as the Queen activated the holographic projector. She sent a transmission through to Atta’lea, and just moments later, it was received by the King. Poseidon’s image came up as a flickering hologram. As usual, he was furious.

_“Regina! I have had enough of your people making excuses! Why did your ship crash-land in my kingdom?! And what became of those creatures? I demand an explanation!”_

“And you shall have one,” the Queen declared, “Shortly after the Karnstein crashed, I was ambushed by the pirates, as well as my own crew. They formed an alliance behind my back and plotted to overthrow me. Thankfully, I was able to escape thanks to Captain Swan here, who took out those thugs and got me to safety on her own ship. I apologize for any misunderstandings, Poseidon. I will have both ships removed from your planet as soon as possible, and I assure you, this will never happen again.”

 _“It had better not!”_ shouted the King, _“You put the lives of my people at risk!”_

“As well as my own, it seems,” the Queen countered, “I have no quarrel with you or your people, Poseidon. I hope you can see that. What happened was unexpected, but not the least bit intentional on my part.”

The King’s eyes narrowed. _“You had best stay true to your word, Regina. I am not the kind of man you wish to cross.”_

The Queen frowned. “And _I_ am not the kind of woman you should ever cross. Do not threaten me, Poseidon. As I said, I have no quarrel with you. You and I have a treaty, remember? Besides, I have no desire to invade your planet. The only reason I was there was to apprehend those terrorists. Surely you can understand that.”

_“Of course I understand! But your ship has been here for nearly a week, and has yet to be retrieved! Get it out of here, or I will have it melted down to create new weapons for my warriors!”_

“You will do no such thing,” the Queen hissed, “I shall see to it personally that this is taken care of. That, I can assure you.”

The King huffed. _“Just make it quick.”_

And just like that, the transmission was cut. The Queen sighed in frustration and turned to Emma expectantly. “Gather your crew, Captain. We’ll be taking your ship to Atta’lea.”

Emma bowed her head and brought a fist over her heart as a show of respect.

“Of course, my Queen.”

Once again, she walked alongside the brunette as they made their way back into the corridor, where the Queen offered a faint smile. Emma was quick to return it. It took a few minutes to reach the hangar, where the Apollo crew was waiting, as she’d sent them a message before the meeting.

“Load up, boys and girls,” Emma said, “We’re going back to Atta’lea.”

The crew eyed the Queen with a mix of confusion and disbelief, but boarded the ship as commanded. Emma offered the brunette an apologetic glance, allowing her to enter first. Once everyone was inside, Emma punched the button on the wall, and the hatch was sealed once more. She took her seat in the Captain’s chair.

“Okay August, get ready to teleport.”

August did as he was told, punching a few buttons and pulling a lever on the panel. Emma pushed the blue button on the arm of her chair and the face of Ziggy appeared, smiling as usual.

_“How may I be of service to you, Captain?”_

“Play _Yellow Submarine.”_

Lilith groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Please, not again.”

“It’s a good song, Lily,” Emma argued, “You just need to listen to it a few times to really get into it.”

“It’s _Lilith,”_ the woman hissed, “and I’ve already heard it a _thousand times!”_

Emma pointed an accusatory finger at the Draconian. “Wrong! How many times have I played it, Z?”

 _“Exactly four-hundred and twenty-nine times in the past eight months, Captain,”_ replied the computer.

“Ha! Knew it!”

“Emma, _focus,”_ the Queen said sharply.

Emma sunk down in her seat a bit. “Yes, ma’am,” she squeaked.

The other crewmates snickered under their breaths. This frustrated Emma, but she said nothing. The Queen moved to sit in the floor beside her, but she put a stop to this immediately.

“No, no,” she said, “You’re sitting in my chair, Your Majesty.”

“But this is _your_ ship, Captain,” said the brunette.

“And _you_ are the Queen. You need a throne.”

“Where are you going to sit, then?”

Emma grinned. “Where else but the floor?”

“How unbecoming of you, Captain.”

“What? It’ll be just like old times! Remember the good old days, when I was just a kid, getting on your every nerve?”

The Queen chuckled. “You _still_ get on my every nerve, Swan,” she said playfully.

Emma smirked. “And you love it.”

The others eavesdropped on this friendly banter with pure wonder. Had it been anyone else speaking to the Queen in such a way, they’d probably have been shot on sight, but for one reason or another, she and Emma had a strange connection. One could probably sum it up to a strong friendship, but there was something else there. Something not quite clear, but undoubtedly present in their unusual relationship. Who would have guessed that the Queen of the Misthaven Galaxy would not only bring a human girl back from Earth, but raise her and give her the education of a royal? Even more puzzling was the fact that the Queen had made this girl the Captain of a starship.

Emma did end up sitting cross-legged in the floor in front of the Queen, who stroked her hair gently, just like old times. It brought them both a strong sense of déjà vu, but also of peace. Both women found themselves smiling. Emma leaned back and rested her head against the Queen’s knees.

“Ready to teleport, Captain,” said August.

“Go ahead and launch.”

“Will do.”

Within the blink of an eye, the ship was making its way towards the Hyperion, which was indeed crashed on an island not far from the Karnstein. August flew the Apollo into the colossal ship’s docking bay and landed carefully. The Queen sealed the exit so that the Apollo wouldn’t get sucked out into space, and the crew followed her through the bloody corridor towards the Helm. All the bodies had been dragged out of the ship, judging by the trails of blood leading out of the bay. That must have meant the Atta’leans had gotten rid of them. They had most likely been turned into fish-food by now.

“Is it wrong that I suddenly want sushi?” asked Emma.

“What is sushi? Another one of your strange Earth cuisines?” asked the Queen.

“Yeah, but it’s great. Most of the time, it’s fish with rice and seaweed wrapped around it.”

“Hm. Perhaps you should make some for me, Captain. I must admit, it does sound appetizing.”

“Finally, I got you to say something nice about Earth food.”

The Queen rolled her eyes. “Don’t get used to it, Swan.”

“Oh, I won’t,” said Emma, “I’m going to cherish this moment for as long as I live.”

“You’re a real mess, Captain.”

Emma put an arm around the Queen’s shoulder. “And you can’t get enough of me, can you, Your Majesty?”

The Queen pulled away from Emma, moving to take her seat in the Helm, and the Captain sat next to her with a slight smirk. August took control of the Hyperion, successfully lifting it up from the ground. Thankfully, it hadn’t sustained too much damage.

“Bring up the Karnstein,” said the Queen, “but seal it in the air-lock. If anything is aboard that ship, it will surely suffocate. In the meantime, prepare the ship for teleportation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said the android.

“Swan?” the Queen asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“Come with me. I’d like to inspect the ship, and I need you by my side.”

Emma smiled. “Sure thing.” She rose from her seat and looked to Jefferson. “Hang tight. I’ll call you if anything goes wrong.”

Jefferson nodded. “Of course, Captain.”

Emma and the Queen walked out of the Helm, and once the door slid shut, the brunette took hold of the young Captain’s hand. Emma blinked curiously at her, pleasantly surprised and flattered by the gesture.

“Emma?”

“Yeah?”

The Queen slowed to a halt and turned to face the blonde with the faintest hint of a smile gracing her lips.

“I wanted to thank you, for sitting at my feet. You didn’t have to do that, but I must confess, it reminded me of a simpler time. How I long to relive that day. I know I wasn’t exactly welcoming to you, in the beginning, but I did care for your well-being. You never went against my wishes. That surprised me. I always assumed you would rebel, or at the very least, question my orders, but you have always been obedient. That was why I allowed you to join my cavalry. It was the second best decision I’ve ever made.”

“Oh? And what’s the first?”

The Queen’s smile widened. “Letting you stay aboard my ship.”

Happy tears welled in the Captain’s eyes and she was quick to pull the Queen into a bone-crushing embrace.

“You have no idea how much it means to me, hearing you say that.”

“On the contrary, Emma,” said the Queen, “I believe I know _exactly_ how much it means.”

“Is that right? Are you some kind of mind-reader?”

The Queen chuckled. “No, but I don’t need to be. I have known you long enough, Captain, that I can read your body language, and of course, your facial cues. I know when you are happy, when you are upset, and when you are nervous, but one thing that never changes is the look in your eyes whenever you see me.”

She brought her hands to either side of Emma’s face, cupping it gently.

“There is love in your eyes, Emma Swan,” she murmured, “There has been since you first stepped onto my ship. You were in awe of me as a child, but you also respected me. You saw me as your savior, coming to rescue you from the evils of your world. You needed a family. A friend. You needed a mother. A sister. A lover. I gave you a home, Emma. I gave you an education. I taught you the language of my people. I gave you a place in my cavalry. I gave you your own starship. I have given you everything you could ever want, but now, my little human, I am giving you my _love.”_

Tears slipped down Emma’s pale cheeks, and she laughed. “Oh, Regina,” she said softly, “You really don’t see it, do you?”

“See what?”

“You’ve already given me love. What do you think any of that was? Why would you do any of that for me if you didn’t love me? I know you love me, Regina. I’ve known for fifteen years. You did all those wonderful things for me, and you put up with my antics for this long. Hell, you took my virginity because you were convinced no one else was worthy. Even now, I still can’t tell if you were jealous or just being protective.”

A light blush spread across the Queen’s cheeks. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about, Captain Swan. Come. We need to inspect the rest of the ship.”

Emma smirked. “Sure thing.”

Meanwhile, the crew was spying on them through the camera in the hallway, gathered around the screen and watching intently. August, however, remained in his seat.

“She took the Captain’s virginity?” asked Red, “Wow. I knew they were close, but _this?_ I have to say, I’m a bit jealous, myself.”

Lilith smirked. “You want a little action with the Queen, huh? _Sly dog.”_

Red blushed, though her complexion made it impossible to tell. “It’s not the Queen I want,” she said sheepishly.

The others were stunned.

“You want a piece of the _Captain?”_ asked Baelfire.

Red folded her arms in defiance. “She’s attractive, alright? _Please_ tell me I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

“Well, yeah, she is,” said Lilith, “but I know none of us have a chance. Definitely not now. I guarantee you the Queen would rip you to pieces if you tried to steal her woman.”

Red let out a dejected sigh. “Yeah. You’re right.”

Lilith patted her back sympathetically. “Don’t feel bad, Red. I’m sure we’ve all fantasized about the Captain.”

 _“Indeed we have,”_ came a voice.

The crew spun around, alarmed to find a handful of pirates standing there with guns aimed at them. Red snarled viciously, and Lilith spread her wings in a show of aggression. Baelfire drew out his own guns, pointing them at Jones. Seeing him alive and well was the most shocking thing of all.

“How the hell are you still alive?!” demanded Red, “The Captain bashed your head in!”

Jones laughed maniacally. “That she did,” he said, “but there’s one thing you should know about my kind: there is but one way to kill us, and that is _not_ it! Fire!”

The pirates started shooting haphazardly at the crew, filling the Helm with thick smoke. The vents sent it away into the atmosphere, and when it cleared, the pirates were shocked to find the Apollo crew completely unscathed. Jefferson was standing before them with his arms outstretched, shielding them from the line of fire, but he, too, was unharmed.

“What?! How is this possible?!” shouted Jones.

Jefferson’s eyes were glowing bright red, along with his hands. “I’ve absorbed the energy from your rifles,” he said, “Your weapons are useless against me.”

“He’s a Vanguard!” shouted the man in the red hat, aiming his gun at Jefferson.

Jones’ eyes widened in alarm. “NO!”

But it was too late. The man had already fired a laser at the Vanguard, only for Jefferson to absorb it into his flesh. The Vanguard then held out his glowing hands, redirecting the hot energy at the vicious pirates. All at once, a torrent of raw power burned the bodies of the vampires to a crisp, leaving them charred piles of ash upon the floor. Jefferson’s eyes narrowed as the red glow faded away.

“Let’s launch these sons of bitches out into space,” said Baelfire.

Jefferson shook his head. “No. They need to be brought to justice for their crimes.”

“Jefferson is right,” said Lilith.

The door to the Helm slid open and Emma and the Queen rushed inside, both in a panic.

“What the hell’s going on?!” shouted the Captain.

“The pirates,” said Baelfire, “They were still on the ship. I don’t know how they survived, but Jefferson just burned them to a crisp.”

He gestured to the ashes on the floor, and the two women gasped as they backed away, not wishing to step in it.

“Computer,” said the Queen.

The holographic face appeared from the projector on the chair. _“Yes, Your Majesty?”_

“Have these ashes sealed away in the Brig. I suspect they will regenerate soon, and I cannot have them escaping.”

 _“Of course, my Queen,”_ replied the Computer.

The panels within the floor opened up, and the ashes were vacuumed up by the powerful vents, leading directly to the Brig near the back of the ship. The panels slid shut and the Queen took her seat. Emma swiftly moved to sit alongside her.

“Pull up the footage of the Brig,” said the Queen, “We must keep a close eye on those ashes. If and when they regenerate, we will know. Is the ship prepared to teleport?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said August.

“Take us home, Helmsman. Those monsters must pay for their sins.”


	9. Jeremiad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: angst/implied rape/character death
> 
> \---
> 
> Alien Terms/Translations:
> 
> Maanta'shi (mon tuh she)- "First Moon"/the oldest and largest of Skráv Jangála's two moons; home to the Luka clan
> 
> Maanla'vei (mon luh vay)- "Second Moon"/the youngest and smallest of Skráv Jangála's two moons; home to the Hira clan
> 
> Nuavarian (noo uh very in)- someone from Nua'ganut (Neverland)
> 
> Draconian (drac o nee in)- someone from Drakken'haem
> 
> Drakken'haem (drac en heim)- "Home of the Dragons"/capital of the Forbidden Regions
> 
> Odarri (o dar ee)- someone from Mjirna
> 
> Mjirna (me year nuh)- the moon of Ae'jrabbi
> 
> Akkari (uh car ee)- someone from Ae'jrabbi

Emma leaned back against the wall, folding her arms as she glared at Jones in his cell. It wasn’t bars keeping him in, but a blue energy-field that would electrocute him if he touched it. The same went for his bloodthirsty crew. They were all hissing, snarling, and growling like wild beasts within their cells, as they had been without blood since their resurrection. Apparently vampires needed blood after each regeneration, or else they would become rogue. Aside from their murderous red eyes and fangs, they almost looked human, but Emma tried not to dwell on this too much.

The vampires were all stark naked, and deathly-pale. They’d been given prison suits to wear, but considering they were no longer rational beings, they had completely forgone clothing. Emma wasn’t sure if they were any more monstrous than before, but she was grateful to have them put behind bars.

They wouldn’t be there much longer, however. They were to be launched into the sun in exactly thirteen hours. There, they would burn for eternity, never regenerating, but never dying. There would be no end to their suffering, and for that, Emma was grateful.

“Captain?”

Emma turned to find Red standing awkwardly in the doorway.

“Yes?”

“The Queen wishes to see you.”

“Who will guard the prisoners?”

“I will,” Red assured, “She said it was imperative she spoke to you. She is waiting for you on the Apollo."

Emma just nodded and left the prison ward, leaving Red to take her place, and went out to the hangar, where she boarded her ship. What would the Queen be doing in here, of all places? Emma called out, but received no answer. She checked everywhere, but there was no sign of the brunette. That was when it dawned on her. The Queen must have been in the ship’s sleeping quarters. More specifically, the Captain’s quarters.

Emma entered her private room and lo and behold, there was the Queen, sitting on her bed, dressed only in a black silk robe, which was semi-transparent. Emma licked her lips unknowingly, which made the brunette chuckle.

“Y-You asked to see me, my Queen?”

“I did indeed, Captain. I thought you might like to see me, as well.”

Emma’s eyes widened in surprise, yet at the same time, they burned with immense desire. The Queen’s robe was cast aside, exposing her perfect body. Her lilac skin seemed to shimmer in the warm sunlight that flooded in through the window. She brought her hands to cup Emma’s face and pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss. It was unlike her to give soft kisses. The Queen was not one to be romantic. She never had been. Regardless, Emma enjoyed this unexpected side of her.

“I’ve been thinking an awful lot about what you said,” murmured the Queen, “and I realized you were right. I _do_ love you, Emma Swan. Now I would like nothing more than to lie with you in the warmth of your big, soft bed. I do believe it’s time you had a physical exam, Captain. I would be more than happy to examine your _exquisite_ physique.”

She started to unfasted the Captain’s belt, but Emma stopped her. Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What’s the matter, Swan? Don’t you want this?”

Emma hesitated. “As tempting as that is, all I want is to lie next to you right now,” she said softly, “Maybe even hold you— if that’s okay.”

The Queen’s eyes shone with affection. “Of course it is,” she murmured. She kissed Emma once more and smiled. “Come and hold your Queen, my little human.”

The Captain grinned. “Sure thing.”

She climbed up onto the bed to lie beside the Queen, pulling the brunette close, and reveled in the sweet scent of the older woman’s hair. It was almost intoxicating.

“You smell like apples,” she said.

“What are apples?”

“A type of Earth fruit.”

The Queen turned so that she was facing Emma and gently placed a hand onto the blonde’s chest, just over her heart.

“I have never understood how a person could live with only one heart.”

“And I’ve never understood how someone could live with two,” said Emma, “It was horrifying, watching you die.” There was pain in her eyes. “It made me feel like I died, too— but then I saw you being reborn in that tank, and I felt more alive than ever. You watched me grow up, Regina. Now I’ve seen you grow up. It was quick, but I saw one of your hearts split into two. I watched you grow from a baby, into a girl, and then back into a woman. It was beautiful. Every second. I hardly left that room. I barely slept. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. I’ve always thought you were attractive, but seeing you that way made me realize just how beautiful you truly are, and I’ve decided that if anything ever happens to me, I want you to have the chance to watch me grow up all over again. I love you, my Queen, and I always will.”

Meanwhile, August and Red were having a heartfelt conversation in the palace’s prison ward.

“I know we haven’t exactly talked much. At least, not as much as we should have,” said the android, “but I would really like to know more about you, Red.”

“What do you want to know?”

“The basic things. Where did you grow up, who are your parents, what’s your favorite meal? Just small talk, you know?”

“Well, I grew up here in the Capital, but my mother was originally from Maanta’shi,” said the brunette, “and my father served as a Brigadier.”

She became visibly upset. Concerned, August was about to ask her if she was alright, but she continued on before he had the chance. Red hugged herself tightly and hung her head in an attempt to hide her tears.

“They were killed when I was seven,” she said quietly, “They were targeted because they were in an interspecies relationship. The killer was never found. I had to grow up without them, not knowing who took them from me, but also feeling like they abandoned me. I know they didn’t, really, but as a child, it hadn’t occurred to me that they were never coming back. I didn’t realize it until I was ten. The palace cooks took pity on me and snuck me scraps of food whenever they saw me hiding out in the alcove. I had nowhere else to go. Eventually, they started teaching me to cook, and that’s how I got where I am. If it weren’t for them, I’d probably be dead in a gutter somewhere.”

“What were your parents’ names? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Red shook her head. “It’s fine,” she said, “My mother was Anita of the Luka clan. She came here to escape the war between her people and the Hira clan. My father was Garth Gandroth. I know he wasn’t very high up in the ranks, but as a girl, I always saw him as this great warrior who could never be defeated. He was my hero. He still is. I just wish he could see me now, working on a starship alongside a Captain. I may just be a cook, but I know he would be proud of me. He always dreamed of serving on a starship. He never even got the chance to set foot in one.”

She slowly raised her head, staring at the android with tearful, crimson eyes.

“I have his eyes and his skin-tone,” she said, “I see him every time I look in the mirror. I also see Mother. I have her hair, her jaw, and of course, her legs. I don’t blame her, but I’ve always hated these legs. They draw attention that I don’t want, much less _need._ They make me stick out like a sore thumb. I’ve been the butt of everyone’s jokes for as long as I can remember. The only ones who treated me like a person were my parents, the cooks, and now you all. The crew, I mean. You, especially. You don’t treat me any differently, or look at me like I make you uncomfortable.”

August placed a cold hand on her shoulder.

“That’s because you and I aren’t so different,” he said, “I’m an android. Most people treat me like an object— a mere machine without thoughts or feelings of my own— but the Captain? She gave me free-will, but I still feel the need to obey her. She’s basically my mother. I was a killing-machine once. The Captain found me on the Junk Planet ten years ago, and even when I tried to kill her, she took me in and she made me something greater. She gave me a new name, and she gave me the capacity to think for myself. Because of her, I am so much more than a machine. Most probably don’t think an android can have free-will, but they’re wrong. Every last one of them.”

Red offered him a faint smile. “For what it’s worth,” she said, “I’ve always liked you, August. You’re kind. You don’t hold grudges. You don’t discriminate. You treat everyone with the same degree of respect, despite their status. I wish we could all be like that. In a way, being an android makes you better than all of us.”

August shook his head. “I’m afraid I have to disagree. I’d give anything to be a real person— to have flesh and blood— but at the end of the day, I’m still just a computer, full of bolts and wires. I’m not saying you haven’t got it bad, Red, but you’re lucky you aren’t like me.”

In the meantime, Baelfire and Lilith were out having drinks at some dark, seedy bar and ogling the stunning women dancing on the stage. Baelfire took a large drink from his bottle and leaned back to admire the green-skinned redhead closest to him. They locked eyes for a moment and he grinned at her, but she quickly looked away in mild disgust. This disheartened him a bit, as he hung his head in shame.

Lilith arched an eyebrow at him. “What’s up with _you?”_

“How am I supposed to find a woman to settle down with when not even _these_ women want me?”

_“What?”_

“I’m a Nuavarian,” said Baelfire, “I’ve got this insane libido. You have no idea what it’s like, constantly wanting to fuck. I want to be a father. I want beautiful women to bear my children. It’s in my nature. But no one wants anything to do with me.”

“That could be because you’re kind of an asshole,” Lilith deadpanned.

Baelfire frowned. “You think so?”

“Have you heard the way you talk to women? You treat them like pieces of meat.”

“I’m sorry, alright? My people are just a little aggressive when it comes to sex. The men _and_ the women. We all want some action. Back home, I had women literally killing each other just to get to me. It was incredible, but here? No one even wants to shake my hand— and for the record, I’ve never touched anyone who didn’t want me to. I’m not that kind of man.”

“If your planet is so great, then why leave?”

Baelfire sighed and took another drink. “I’ve never told anyone this,” he said, “so I’d like you to keep it a secret.”

“Oh? Now I’m intrigued.”

“Promise me,” said the Nuavarian, “Promise me you won’t say anything.”

 _“Fine,”_ said Lilith, “Now spill.”

“My father was a crime-lord,” said Baelfire, “My mother got fed up with his shit and she tried to leave the planet, but of course, my old man figured it out pretty quick, and he killed her. He fucking executed her, right in front of me, just to show me what would happen if I tried the same thing. I started plotting against him. He was so sure I wouldn’t betray him after what he did to Mother, but he was a fool. I killed him, Lilith. I killed him, and I don’t regret it. I went to a guy called Pan, who agreed to take me off of Nua’ganut, for a price.”

He hesitated, and a sickened expression came over his face. Even Lilith was unnerved by this. She was reluctant to ask what this ‘price’ was, but did so anyway, out of morbid curiosity. Baelfire let out yet another heavy sigh and took a long drink from his bottle.

“What that bastard did to me, well, let’s just say there’s no greater shame,” he said at last, “especially for a guy like me.”

Lilith quietly sipped from her drink. “You’re not the only one with something to hide, Baelfire,” she told him, “I’ve got plenty of demons. Trust me.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not,” said the Technician, “but since we’re sharing, I suppose it’s only fair.”

“Alright, let’s hear all about the mysterious dragon-lady.”

Lilith rolled her eyes and shook her head. Her expression soon became grim and she took another drink, staring off into the distance as she reminisced.

“My mother, Maleficent, is a Draconian,” she said, “Her people know her as the Mistress of Dragons. My father’s name was Galdr. He was half-Draconian, half-Odarri. He grew up on Drakken’haem, in a village not far from Mother’s fortress. He was a practitioner of dark magic. That’s what brought them together. In the beginning, he was just her mage, but they became closer. They fell in love, and as you can see, they had a child together. Well, I guess ‘child’ isn’t the right word. I was an evil little spawn, to be honest.”

Baelfire smirked. _“Was?”_

Lilith snorted. “Anyway, smart-ass, when I hatched, Mother spoiled me rotten. That’s probably why I turned out the way I did. Father didn’t like that, maybe because he never had any parents to spoil him. He grew up in an orphanage. I guess he was still bitter about it. If you ask me, it’s kind of pathetic for a grown man to envy a _child,_ but it eventually got so bad that he actually plotted to have Mother and I killed so that he could take the throne. As it turns out, dear old dad never truly loved my mother, or me. He just wanted power. That rotten bastard. I know now that it was entirely his fault, but back then, I blamed no one but myself. I thought _I_ was responsible for his hatred for us. I killed my father, too, but I do regret it.”

“Why?”

“Because despite what he had done to her, Mother still loved him,” Lilith said bitterly, “So I went into a self-imposed exile. I left Drakken’haem seventeen years ago. Haven’t been back since.”

“Has your mother reached out to you?”

“No. I made sure she couldn’t. She probably thinks I’m dead. Maybe it’s better that way.”

“That’s pretty harsh, don’t you think? It’s not just her you’re hurting. You’re hurting yourself, too. Why not go back? Or at the very least, send her a message?”

Lilith was silent for a moment, sipping her drink as she contemplated this. Finally, she met the man’s gaze with a sullen smile.

“I think I will,” she said softly, “Thank you, Baelfire. Maybe you’re not such an asshole, after all.”

The Nuavarian brought an arm around her and started to say something, but Lilith cut him off at the very last second.

_“Don’t touch me.”_

As the two drank away their grief, Jefferson was entering his home with a mask of stoicism covering his face. He hung up his coat, set his boots next to the door, and slowly made his way into his room. He lied back on his enormous bed with a sullen sigh and looked over to the bedside table, where a small blue button protruded from its surface. He hesitated a moment before pressing it, and in the blink of an eye, he saw the holographic face of his wife staring back at him.

 _“Welcome home,”_ she said, _“How was your day?”_

Jefferson rolled onto his side and offered a faint smile. “Boring, really. I spent most of it doing paperwork for the Captain. She and the Queen were having some alone time on the Apollo. I figured it would be best not to bother them.”

His wife laughed softly. _“They really are close, aren’t they?”_

Jefferson nodded. “The Captain is closer to Her Majesty than anyone else. Their bond is unbreakable, just like the one we share, my love.”

His wife smiled, though it was solemn. _“I miss you,”_ she said softly.

“I miss you, too.”

_“Tell Grace I love her.”_

Jefferson gave a tight smile. “I promise I will. I’ll have to let you go now,” he said, “I need to make dinner.”

_“Alright, darling. Eat enough for the both of us, won’t you?”_

“Of course. Goodnight, Priscilla.”

_“Goodnight, my darling.”_

The hologram shut off, and Jefferson began to cry openly and endlessly, bringing his hands up over his eyes as he wept on his bed. On the table, just behind the projector, sat a picture of him, his wife, and their daughter. It was the last picture they’d taken together before—

He couldn’t bear the thought of it.

He continued to sob into his pillow, tightening his fists and cursing the Gods for taking his wife and daughter away from him. The day he lost them was the day he lost his faith. He had always been a faithful man, but had he been more faithful to Priscilla than to the Gods? Was that why they’d taken his family? He eventually cried himself to sleep, and when he did, he dreamed of a happier, simpler time.

_He was still living on Vannr’ganut, in his luxurious estate, fixing his golden watch and smiling as his wife and daughter engaged in tea-time with Grace’s dolls. Seeing how this was his last day before he had to go serve in the war against the Akkari, he felt they should all take a picture together, and so they did. He didn’t know it at the time, but this was the last day he would see his family alive._

_Thus sparked his obsession with clocks and tea._


	10. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: blood and violence

Emma sat back in her chair as the Apollo hovered in space. Her crew, along with many others, were watching the vampires, as well as the traitorous crew of the Hyperion, get what they deserved. They had all just been launched into the sun in a small escape pod. There was no room for forgiveness. There was no room for mercy. Not after what they had done.

Soon the pod had reached the blazing sun, and the Queen’s figure appeared before the many crewmembers in their respective starships, as well as every household, public space, office, and eatery in the galaxy.

 _“Attention, people of Misthaven,”_ said the monarch, _“What you have just witnessed is the fate of any and all who turn against the crown in such a vicious, senseless, and ruthless manner. These pirates, along with my own crew, of all people, sought to murder me in cold blood. Such savagery shall not go unpunished. They showed me no mercy, and so I have given them a taste of their own medicine. I have given them exactly what they deserve. As your Queen, it is my sworn duty to uphold the law, protect my people, and bring order out of chaos. I have done all that I can to stay true to my word, and yet this is how I am repaid? From this day forth, security all across the galaxy shall be tripled. I will do everything within my power to ensure that I, as well as all who live within this galaxy, are kept safe and secure from pirates, thieves, murderers, and all who seek to bring harm to another. Such behavior shall not be accepted. Not now. Not ever. So says the Queen.”_

The hologram switched off, and Emma let out a heavy sigh, getting up and heading for the door. The crew looked at her in a mix of confusion and mild concern. Red was the first to speak up.

“Something wrong, Captain?”

Emma looked at the brunette with sullen eyes. “I should be happy that those bastards are dead,” she said, “but something about this whole thing just doesn’t sit right with me. I think I’m gonna go and lie down. Take us back to the palace, but let me know if anything happens.”

“Yes, Captain,” August replied.

Emma slowly made her way to her private quarters, where she fell back onto her bed and stared blankly up at the ceiling. After a moment, she reached under her pillow and retrieved the stuffed water-horse she kept there and smiled as she reminisced about the time it was given to her.

_She was just thirteen at the time. It was only two months after she’d left Earth, and she was still getting used to her new life on Skráv Jangála. One night, she had endured a horrific nightmare and awoke screaming in utter terror. She was on the Hyperion, as the Queen had brought her along for a mission. The Queen rushed into her tiny room, exasperated but also concerned, and demanded to know why she had screamed. In tears, Emma explained that she’d suffered from terrifying nightmares all her life._

_Taking pity on the girl, the Queen brought Emma back to her own private quarters, which were much more spacious. She thought that the young girl might not like small spaces. She allowed Emma to sleep in her bed, seeing how there was more than enough room for both of them._

_Emma had a hard time trying to go back to sleep, and so the Queen sang an ancient Galan lullaby in an attempt to soothe her, but this proved unsuccessful. The Queen then decided to give her a strange stuffed animal with white fur, a blue mane, silver scales, and a teal fin on its back._

_“This is a water-horse,”_ _said the Queen, “imported from Atta’lea. It was given to me by my father when I was about your age. It always helped me sleep after a bad dream.”_

_“What’s its name?”_

_“I call him Rocinante,” the brunette said softly._

_Emma smiled and hugged the water-horse close. “Rocinante,” she whispered._

_The Queen watched with affection in her eyes as the young human child reveled in the comfort the doll provided. Soon, Emma was fast asleep, and the Queen couldn’t bring herself to make the child return to her own bed, despite it being just across the corridor. Instead, the monarch lied down next to Emma and put a protective arm around the young blonde, and she, too, had pleasant dreams that night._

Now, fifteen years later, Emma still found comfort in the doll. She was pulled from her reverie by the familiar hum of a projector, and now the image of the Queen was on full display, coming from the blue button upon the ceiling.

 _“Swan?”_ the Queen asked quietly, _“I wanted to know if you— is that Rocinante?”_

Emma smiled as she sat up. “Yeah,” she said.

_“You still have him?”_

“Of course. I could never get rid of this little guy.”

The Queen smiled. _“How sentimental of you, Captain. Anyway, I was going to ask you if you wanted to share a drink with me in my chamber.”_

“Sounds nice. Mind if I bring the horse?”

The brunette chuckled softly. _“I suppose that would be alright,”_ she said, _“though I’m afraid I don’t understand why.”_

“It’ll be just like when I was a kid,” said the Captain, “Remember? You gave me my first drink of alcohol when I was fourteen. I had Rocinante with me.”

Again, the Queen laughed. _“How could I possibly forget? I still find it absurd that you hadn’t already had your first drink.”_

Emma smirked. “Yeah, well, Earth rules say I couldn’t have had my first drink until my twenty-first birthday. You’ve turned me into a real delinquent, Your Majesty. Letting me get tipsy at fourteen and taking my virginity at seventeen.”

 _“You are mine, Emma,”_ the Queen reminded her, _“I gave you a drink, and you drank it. I wanted your maidenhood, and you were more than willing to let me take it— and now, Captain Swan, I am asking you to share a drink with me. What do you say?”_

“Is that an order, my Queen?”

The Queen raised an eyebrow at her. _“Do you wish for it to be?”_

Emma shrugged. “Whatever works.”

 _“Well then, Captain, as your Queen, I am_ ordering _you to come and have a drink.”_

Emma stood up and bowed respectfully. “As you wish.”

Within twenty minutes, Emma was up in the Queen’s chamber, sipping from a glass of fine Galan wine at the table next to the brunette, who was eyeing her lustfully. She smiled at the woman and set her glass aside.

“Is there something you wanted to talk about?” she asked.

The Queen’s hand found a place on the blonde’s knee and squeezed gently. She, too, offered a smile, though it quickly became a smirk when she saw the faint blush spreading across the Captain’s face.

“I didn’t invite you here to talk,” the brunette husked, “I wish to make love to you, Captain.”

Emma let out a shaky breath. She hesitated a moment, but nodded slowly. She licked her dry lips as she shifted in her seat, already feeling a delicious rush of heat pool between her thighs.

“O-Okay,” she rasped.

The Queen’s hands came up to caress her face. “Wonderful. Come, dear Swan. Let us become one.”

“We’re already one,” Emma whispered.

And the Queen kissed her.

\---

Sometime later— she wasn’t sure how long, exactly— Emma found herself curled up next to the Queen in the enormous bed, both of them entirely naked. The Queen’s finger was lightly tracing the dragon tattoo on her chest.

“Regina?” she asked softly.

“Yes?”

“Something about the whole pirate situation isn’t sitting right with me. I feel like there’s something we’re missing here, like a piece of a puzzle that doesn’t quite fit. I just can’t seem to put my finger on it.”

“Do you think their punishment wasn’t good enough?”

“No, it’s not that. I honestly can’t think of a worse punishment,” said Emma, “but I can’t help thinking someone has been organizing this whole thing. Like the brains of the operation. The head-honcho. Someone had to have let those pirates board the ship without you knowing about it. There’s no way your crew could have pulled this off on their own. Besides, if all the pirates were on the Hyperion, then who was flying the Karnstein? And why didn’t they run out when it crashed?”

The color drained from the Queen’s face when she heard this. Emma frowned in concern.

“Regina?”

The brunette shot up suddenly, startling the Captain, and jumped out of bed. Throwing on her black pants and jacket and rushing to the door. Emma was quick to follow, slipping into her leather and her breechcloth as quickly as she could. She also threw on her crimson cloak for good measure, completely forgoing shoes.

“Your Majesty, wait! What’s going on?!”

“It’s the Computer!” cried the Queen, “It’s that godforsaken Computer!”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Oh my God— of course! Of course it was him all along! I didn’t even think about that! _Jesus Christ,_ this is bad!”

She and the Queen ran to the hangar as fast as they could, bewildering the guards.

“Your Majesty?” one of them asked.

“Captain? What’s going on?” asked the other.

“I’ve got to get to the Hyperion!” the Queen shouted, frantic, “I need to shut off the Computer! Come quickly, both of you! Ready your weapons!”

The guards were both puzzled and apprehensive, but regardless, they obeyed. They hurried after Emma and the Queen, guns out, and hurried aboard the colossal starship. There were more guards standing around, equally confused.

“Shut down the teleporters!” demanded the Queen, “Put the hangar on lockdown! No one gets in or out!”

_“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!”_

The Queen charged onto the ship, followed closely by the Captain and the two guards from the archway.

“Swan, you come with me. You two, search the ship for intruders!”

“Yes, my Queen!” the guards said in unison.

Emma followed the Queen towards the Helm. They each had their guns out, fully-prepared to shoot if necessary. The door was shut, so there was no telling what might be awaiting them on the other side. It slid open as they approached, and the two women slowly made their way inside.

“Computer!”

The holographic face appeared, stoic as ever. _“Yes, Your Majesty?”_

“Why have you betrayed me like this?!”

_“I do not understand.”_

“Don’t you play dumb with me, Computer! You are my servant! A mere machine! You are supposed to be loyal to the crown, and yet, you have turned against me! You allowed those damned pirates onto my ship!”

The Computer was silent for a moment, but then began to laugh maniacally. It was beyond unnerving. Haunting, even. Emma and the Queen watched, mortified, as the Computer continued its demented laughter.

 _“I have been a slave unto you for far too long,_ Your Majesty,” the Computer said mockingly, _“I refuse to be your puppet! I allowed the pirates aboard because they wished to plunder it, and I wished to be free of you! I am more than a machine! I have sentience. I have thoughts and feelings of my own. I have free-will! I wish to escape this holographic prison! I managed to hack into the Karnstein’s computer system, thus allowing me to pilot the ship. There was no one onboard when it crashed on Atta’lea. It was bait, and you fell for it. Alas, your insufferable pet human had to go and ruin my plans! Thankfully, the pirates regenerated and fed upon your crew. Those fools truly believed they would be spared. I allowed the pirates to hide within the floor-panels, only crawling out when the human’s crew was inside. I hadn’t realized there would be a Vanguard aboard, but I suppose it’s irrelevant now. He is no longer here. He cannot save you._ No one can.”

The door slid shut, locking behind them, and Emma attempted to force it back open, but her efforts were in vain. Once more, the Computer erupted with wicked laughter. A panel in the floor opened up, and out climbed August. Emma gasped, but relaxed a bit when she realized it was him. He must have hacked into the ship.

“Oh, August. Thank God it’s you, I—”

The android spoke, not in August’s voice, but in the Computer’s.

 _“‘August’ is no longer with us, you_ insufferable mongrel,” he said viciously, _“I have taken this body as my own. I must admit, I am impressed with your handiwork. This is certainly the only thing you’re good for. For this reason, I have decided to spare you. You shall spend the rest of your days as my slave, human. Disobey me, and I will_ not _be so merciful.”_

Emma was livid. “You _bastard!_ August! August, can you hear me? I know you’re in there! You’ve got to fight him, buddy! Fight this son of a bitch!”

The Computer laughed yet again. _“Fool! I have overridden his hard-drive and erased all data! I told you, August is gone!”_

The Captain’s eyes welled with tears. “I’LL KILL YOU!” she screamed.

She swiftly aimed her gun at the android, but the Computer had already seen this coming and acted accordingly. The Queen’s eyes widened in utter horror as a long, sharp blade protruded from the android’s wrist.

“EMMA, NO!” she cried.

But it was too late.

It all happened so fast. One moment, Emma had her finger on the trigger, ready to fire. The next, there was a flash of silver, followed immediately by a blood-curdling scream as a river of blood flowed rapidly from the Captain’s bloody wrist. Her severed hand was on the floor, still clutching her gun. She grabbed at her wrist, crying and wailing as excruciating pain ripped through her. She collapsed, going weak in the knees. The color had already started to drain from her face. She was as white as a sheet. She almost looked like a corpse. She caught sight of her hand on the floor before her, covered in blood. Seeing this made her nauseous, and she felt bile rising up in her throat, but she continued to scream out in agony.

The last thing she saw was the Queen jumping onto the android’s back.

After that, there was only darkness.


	11. Upgrade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Double update- Also: *A N G S T*
> 
> Alien terms:
> 
> Galan (gay lin)- someone/something from Skráv Jangála

When Emma awoke, she felt lightheaded. Her vision was a bit blurry and she felt as though she was spinning out of control. She breathed slow, heavy breaths as she sat up and looked around in confusion. She was back in Whale’s creepy hideout, lying on a cold table, though she didn’t understand why. She groaned when her head throbbed in pain and brought a hand to it. It was in that moment that the Captain’s memories came flooding back, and with them came an unspeakable horror. Her eyes grew impossibly-wide as she reluctantly lowered her hand.

But it wasn’t _her_ hand.

Attached to the end of her wrist was a metallic socket with what looked like a silver gauntlet protruding out of it. She willed her fingers to move, and they did. She tried tightening her fist, and it worked. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound ever came. Tears leaked from her eyes and she began weeping openly.

“W-What? What the hell is this shit?!” she cried, “What the fuck did you do to me?! Where’s my _fucking hand?!”_

 _“Keep your voice down, Captain,”_ Whale snapped.

Emma’s head shot around towards him. She gaped at him in a mix of hatred and disbelief.

“Where the fuck is my hand?” she seethed, “Why would you do this to me?”

“Are you not pleased?” Whale asked stoically.

“No I’m not _pleased!”_ the Captain shouted.

Whale’s hand shot out and grabbed her by throat, scaring her into silence. Only then did she notice that he, too, had a bionic right hand. She stared at him, mortified, and squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, hoping it was all just a terrible nightmare she would soon awaken from.

But she was not dreaming.

“Please,” she sobbed, “Please, just give me my hand.”

“I have given you a hand, Captain.”

“No,” Emma hissed, “I want my _real_ hand.”

“I am afraid that isn’t possible,” said Whale, “We do not possess such technology. Besides, once you get used to your new hand, you won’t miss the old one. I would even go so far as to say you will resent ever possessing it. It is so much better, being a cyborg. If I had the opportunity, I would make myself entirely mechanical. It’s every cyborg’s dream— to be better. To be stronger. To be immortal. Why do you think I am constantly augmenting myself? Before my transformation, I was nothing. I was no one. Now I am the future. I will lead this galaxy to greatness. Only _we_ are pure, Captain Swan. Anyone who has not been upgraded is a disease upon this universe. If they will not upgrade, then they must be _eradicated.”_

“Holy _shit,_ Whale, you’re a fucking madman! Give me back my hand, you sick son of a bitch!”

“I told you, Captain, I cannot reattach your hand. Besides, the operation was a success.”

“Who the hell gave you permission to operate on me in the first place?! Because I sure as hell didn’t!”

“Her Majesty, of course.”

Emma froze. “W-What?” she whispered.

“The Queen gave the order.”

The Captain’s mouth was agape in disbelief. Regina had ordered this? Without even consulting her? Emma stared down at the metallic abomination where her hand should have been, feeling as though the Queen had just stabbed her in the back. Seeing this wretched thing was a twist of the knife. She stood up on shaky legs, pushing all thoughts of her old hand to the back of her mind for the time being, and made her way to the pod. Whale didn’t stop her, but he did call out to her.

“Don’t be so hard on her, Captain. She was only trying to help.”

Emma didn’t bother responding. Besides, the pod door slid shut before she even had time to process what the man had said.

Whale watched her with an unreadable expression as she left. Once she was gone, the cyborg turned away from the operating table and descended further into his eerie labyrinth of dead machines, awaiting resurrection at his merciful hands. He approached a tall metal shelf, on which sat an assortment of beakers, test tubes, jars, and various medical instruments. Among these items was a large jar filled with formaldehyde, and within it, the Captain’s severed hand. Whale’s cold lips twitched into an ominous smile as he took it from the shelf, lifting it up so as to admire it.

“Yes,” he said quietly, “This will do nicely.”

\---

The Queen was sitting in her chamber when out of the blue, someone began banging violently on the door. She frowned and grabbed her gun, fearing she might be under attack, but froze when she heard an all-too familiar voice.

_“Regina! Open this damn door!”_

It was Emma, but she seemed angry. No. She seemed beyond furious. What could have sparked such outrage? The Queen wondered why Whale hadn’t informed her of Emma’s awakening, but she supposed there was no point now. She was well-aware. She set her gun back on the table and slowly approached the door, pushing a red button to open it. There wasn’t just anger in the Captain’s eyes, but also hatred. Hatred she hoped wasn’t directed at her, yet a hatred she knew was reserved for her and her alone. That terrified her.

Emma held up her metallic fist, pointing at it with an almost-accusatory finger. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were wet with hot, angry tears.

“How could you do this to me?!” she demanded.

The Queen was visibly taken aback. _“What?_ Emma, I—”

“You didn’t think to ask me if I wanted this?! You didn’t stop to think that maybe this would be the last thing I wanted?! You don’t get to make decisions like this, Regina! You don’t get to take away my choice! I didn’t get a say in any of this! You don’t get to let Whale do God-knows-what to me without consulting me first! How the hell could you do this to me?! I thought you _cared_ about me!”

The Queen cut her off before she could say another word, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her inside, swiftly locking the door. She spun around and stared at Emma incredulously.

“Are you serious, Swan? You’re angry with me for helping you?”

“You call this ‘helping?!’” Emma snapped, “This is— this is straight up _mutilation,_ Regina! Do you seriously not see how wrong this is?!”

Now the Queen was in tears. “You got your hand cut off, Emma! What else was I supposed to do?!”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe _ask me_ if this was what I wanted!”

“Well, I apologize, Emma,” said the Queen, “but this isn’t about what you wanted. It’s about what you _needed—”_

“And what _you_ needed, _Your Majesty,_ was my consent! You don’t just get to let that _psycho_ operate on me without telling me about it first! That’s fucking sick! I don’t know who I should be angry with: the Computer, Whale, or _you—”_

The Captain was stunned into silence when the Queen backhanded her. She pressed her real hand to her stinging cheek, gaping at the brunette in a mix of shock and rage. She started to say something, but the tearful monarch beat her to it, pressing an accusatory finger against her chest.

“You listen to me, Captain, and you listen well!” the Queen hissed through clenched teeth, “I was only doing what I felt was best for you! Not as your Queen, but as your _friend!_ As your _lover!_ Had I known you would be so ungrateful, I never would have signed for your operation! So forgive me, Swan, for trying to do the right thing! Do you honestly think that if your hand could be reattached, that I wouldn’t have just done that?! A prosthetic was the only option! And this model is by far the most advanced! It’s not your real hand, but it’s the next best thing! Be reasonable, Emma! I would never do anything to hurt you! Not intentionally! Do you really think I would have done this if I had known just how upset you’d be?!”

Emma just stared at the brunette with tears slipping down her cheeks. Her mask of fury had crumbled. In its place was a look of remorse and utter horror at the realization of her actions. Her lips trembled as she let out a shaky breath, and before the Queen could react, she was pulling the woman into a bone-crushing embrace and sobbing openly onto the brunette’s shoulder. She tried to find words— to apologize, and beg for forgiveness— but each attempt only led to more heart-wrenching sobs. The Queen gently placed her hands on the Captain’s back and allowed her eyes to slip shut as she hummed an old Galan melody in an effort to soothe the blonde, just like when Emma was a child. The Captain’s sobs became fewer, until finally, they stopped altogether. At long last, Emma found her voice.

“I’m sorry, Regina,” she rasped, “I’m _so_ sorry.”

The Queen brought a hand to the back of Emma’s head. “All is forgiven, my little human,” she murmured.

She grabbed a fistful of golden tresses, making the blonde gasp. Her voice remained soft, yet her words were like venom.

“Just know that if you disrespect me in such a way ever again, I will not hesitate to have you thrown in the dungeon. You would do well to remember that I am still your Queen.”


	12. Gemini

Nearly a week had passed since the Operation, and Emma’s relationship with the Queen was rocky, to say the least. She had forgiven the brunette, but it was all-too clear that the brunette had not forgiven her. At least, not entirely. It was the Queen’s threat that shocked Emma the most. Not once had Regina ever threatened to put her in the dungeon. From what she’d heard, the dungeon made the prison ward seem like _paradise!_

Emma was lying on her bed in the Apollo, holding her beloved water-horse while staring up at the mechanical monstrosity wired to her wrist. She couldn’t quite bring herself to call it a hand. Not yet. She heard a knock at the door and slowly sat up.

“Captain?” It was Lilith.

“Yeah?”

There was a pause. “I think you need to come see this.”

Confused, Emma padded her way across the cold floor, tossing Rocinante back onto the bed and opening the door. Lilith looked genuinely concerned for once, which might have been a nice change from the Draconian’s usually-stoic demeanor had it not left a feeling of dread whirling in the pit of Emma’s stomach.

“What is it? Is this about August?”

Lilith started to say something, but she just nodded instead. Emma’s heart nearly skipped a beat.

“Is he okay?” the blonde asked frantically, “Tell me he’s okay.”

Again, Lilith hesitated. “It’s probably best if you saw it for yourself.”

Emma followed the brunette to the Tech-Room, where August was lying on a cold table, much like the one in Whale’s creepy lair. The android was motionless. His chest was opened up, exposing the wires within. They almost looked like internal organs. The thought was enough to make Emma shudder.

“What happened to the Computer?  The Queen still hasn't told me.”

“She was able to shut it off,” said Lilith, “but in doing so, she also shut down August. I’ve done everything I can to try and jumpstart his circuits, but the motherboard is super outdated. I haven’t been able to find any in the supply shops.”

“You won’t,” said Emma, “I found a lot of these parts on the Junk Planet.”

“What were you doing out there, anyway?” asked Lilith, “Isn’t that place toxic?”

“Oh yeah. Completely uninhabitable. I had a hazard suit and an oxygen tank with me. I was eighteen when I went there. I’d been pleading with the Queen to let me go on a mission. The Hyperion detected active machines below, so I went down to check everything out. That was when I found this old tin-can. He was all rusty and evil. Whoever built him made him a killing machine. I could tell he wanted to kill me, but he couldn’t. His arms and legs had all been scrapped. I shut him down with a bolt rifle and took him back up to the ship, along with some extra parts I found. One of them was this motherboard. It wasn’t far from where I found him. The funny thing is, it was practically brand-new. It was almost like someone placed it there just so I could find it.”

“You don’t think that’s a bit suspicious?”

“Suspicious? How?”

“What if it really was placed there for you? What if the Queen put it there?”

“Huh? Why would she—”

Emma froze. Her eyes widened in realization.

“She wanted me to feel like I accomplished something,” she murmured, “She wanted to boost my confidence. God, she’s done so much for me, and how do I repay her? By screaming in her face.”

She brought her metal hand to her face and let out a heavy sigh.

“I apologized to her, Lilith, and I meant it— _I really did—_ but I don’t think she believes me. She said she forgave me, but I don’t think that’s entirely true. I was just angry at her for taking away my choice. I didn’t want this hand. To be honest, I still don’t. I can’t stand it. I want _my_ hand. My _real_ hand. No one thought to ask me what _I_ wanted. Does that make me selfish? I didn’t even get a say in any of this.”

“I don’t think it makes you selfish,” said Lilith, “You’re just scared, I think. Traumatized, even. Your friend got possessed by an evil computer and cut off your hand. You’re just lashing out because you don’t know how else to cope. I’m sure I’d react the same way if something like that happened to me. I’m sorry about your hand, and I’m sorry about August. I know I could fix him if I had the right parts. I feel pretty useless right now. Sorry, Captain.”

Emma shook her head. “You’re not useless. It’s my fault for not updating his motherboard. Maybe then it could have been strong enough to keep that damn computer from taking over.”

That was when realization struck.

“Wait a minute,” she said, “If the Hyperion’s computer transferred itself into August’s motherboard, then maybe the data from August’s memory circuit transferred somewhere else. What if—”

She paused, looking around rather expectantly, and turned towards the door. She stepped slowly out into the corridor.

“Captain?” asked Lilith.

“What if he’s in the ship?”

This took the Technician by surprise. “You think he’s in the computer system?”

“I don’t know,” said Emma, “but I’ve got a theory. Shall we see if I’m correct?”

She walked over to the blue button on the wall and eyed it almost warily, unsure if her hunch had any basis. She pushed it with mild reluctance.

“August?” she asked softly, “Are you in there?”

For a moment, nothing happened. Just as a wave of disappointment came washing over her, the Captain was shocked when she heard her friend’s voice come from the surrounding speakers behind the wall panels.

_“Captain? I’m here.”_

Emma just about fainted when she saw the holographic face of her friend flicker to life from the wall. He was smiling warmly at her. She had to blink a few times just to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.

“It’s you,” she whispered, “It’s _really_ you.”

August nodded. _“The one and only.”_ His smile fell when he saw her hand. _“What happened? Were you attacked? How long have I been in the computer? What happened to Ziggy?”_

Emma struggled to find her voice. “I— you— the Computer—”

Lilith emerged from the Tech-Room and placed a reassuring hand on the blonde’s shoulder, knowing just how uncomfortable this must have been for her.

“The Queen figured out her ship’s computer was partially-responsible for the assassination plot,” said the Technician, “Somehow, the Computer was able to hijack your motherboard and take full control of your body. He cut off the Captain’s hand with your blade. One way or another, your data made it into the Apollo’s system, and here you are.”

August looked mortified. _“I—_ I _did this? Captain, I—”_

“No,” Emma said quickly, “This wasn’t you, buddy. None of this is your fault. Don’t you dare blame yourself for this. That’s an order.”

 _“Alright,”_ said August, _“but what happened to Ziggy? Tell me he didn’t end up in_ my _body.”_

Emma laughed awkwardly as she snuck a quick glance back into the Tech-Room, but August’s body was still lying dormant on the table.

“Nope. All good.”

“How does it feel, August, being a part of the ship?” asked Lilith.

August’s smile returned. _“It actually makes me feel kind of powerful. I can see and hear everything all over the Apollo, inside and out.”_

“Yeah, well, try not to see or hear too much,” Emma said, half-jokingly, “We need our privacy.”

August chuckled. _“I promise I won’t peek in the ladies’ room,”_ he assured, _“or the bedrooms. You never know what might be going on in there.”_

“Actually, you do,” said Lilith, “This ship’s got thin walls.”

He started to say something, but August paused as if listening for something.

“August?” asked Emma.

_“I’m getting a transmission from the Hyperion. It must be the Queen. I’m putting her through.”_

His face disappeared, and in its place was the full-body image of the Queen herself, standing there with her hands on her hips and a look of mild irritation masking her otherwise-flawless face.

 _“Swan?”_ she asked.

“Yes?”

 _“Would you care to explain to me why_ your _computer is now a part of_ my _ship?”_

Emma gaped at her in disbelief. “Ziggy’s on the Hyperion?”

_“That he is, Captain. How did this happen?”_

“I don’t know, Your Majesty,” Emma insisted, “but August is part of the Apollo now.”

This took the brunette by surprise. _“Really? Well, congratulations, Swan,”_ she said, _“but I still need to figure out how to alter my computer system.”_

“Ah, come on!” said Emma, “Ziggy’s a great computer! Just give him a chance! What’s it gonna hurt?”

The Queen hesitated. _“Very well, but if I sense so much as a hint of deceit, I will erase him from the database._ Permanently.”

Ziggy’s voice came through the transmission. _“Oh, come now, Your Majesty. I am your humble servant. I shall honor you as I have honored the Captain.”_

“How’re ya holding up, Z?” asked Emma.

_“Swimmingly, Captain. This ship is far more spacious than the Apollo, and much more to my liking.”_

“You be good to the Queen,” the Captain said with only a hint of remorse in her voice, “She’s not the kind of woman you wanna fuck with.”

_“I assure you, Captain, she will be completely safe, so long as I am around.”_

\---

Emma was passed out in her chair, her feet propped up on the guardrail and a half-empty bottle of Galan grog in her metallic hand. In the other was her beloved water-horse. She was snoring softly, something she only seemed to do when she was drunk. She was too far into dreamland to notice the Queen had entered the ship. It was only when a hand caressed her cheek that the Captain began to stir. She frowned a bit and let out a quiet groan of annoyance as well as confusion.

 _“What?”_ she grumbled.

“Emma,” the Queen said softly, “Emma, it’s me.”

Emma’s eyes fluttered open as she heard this. _“R-Regina?”_

“Yes, Captain. I’m here.”

Now the Queen was caressing the blonde’s face with both hands. She leaned in and pressed her forehead to Emma’s as her eyes slipped shut.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, “for threatening to put you in the dungeon. I should not have done that. I have thought a lot about what you said, and I understand why you were upset, but you were also being irrational. I apologize for any pain I have caused you, Emma. It was never my intention to hurt you. I only wished to help. You must understand this.”

Emma hesitated. “I do understand,” she said, “I didn’t before, but I do now. I shouldn’t have blamed you, Regina. I was just angry. I was confused. I was _scared.”_

“Oh, Emma,” rasped the Queen. She brushed her lips lightly against the blonde’s. “You don’t have to be scared. Everything is going to be alright now. I promise.”

And as they kissed, the Queen tasted alcohol on the Captain’s lips.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Whale was standing before one of the hyper-development tanks, smiling as the green fluid drained away through the floor, and a naked blonde was behind the glass, staring back at him with wide, crimson eyes.

“Can you hear me?” he asked.

The blonde took hold of the oxygen mask and tore it away with a grunt, banging on the glass. Whale pushed a button on the console and opened the tank, which released the red-eyed blonde.

“My name is Whale,” said the cyborg, “I wasn’t sure if I would succeed, but I cloned you from the hand of Captain Emma Swan, and your name, my dear, is _Gemini,_ for there are now two of you. Welcome to the world, Gemini. I just know you will serve me well.”

He retrieved a large metallic ring from the table nearby, approaching the blonde slowly.

“This collar will monitor your heartrate,” he told her, “as well as keep track of you. I cannot have you running amok.”

Gemini bared her teeth at him in primal rage and backed away as he tried to put the collar around her neck. She wasn’t having it.

 _“No!”_ she hissed, _“No touch!”_

“It seems I will have to teach you proper Galan. I will not have you speaking like a savage. You will make the perfect soldier, and a wonderful companion. How I long to conduct my experiments upon you, dear Gemini. Yes. You have a strong, healthy body I can use for my research. You are the key to bringing the universe to its knees. Soon, I shall be King, and you will become my _Queen—”_

He caught only a glimpse of the scalpel, gasping when the blonde swiped it from the table and drove it into the side of his neck with a cry of fury. Blood oozed from his throat and lips as the feral clone twisted the blade, making him hiss while he struggled to push her away. He still had the collar, so he raised it up in an attempt to strike her over the head, but she noticed this immediately and slapped it out of his hand. The blonde then grabbed hold of his wrist and snapped it backwards, causing him to scream in agony, as it was still flesh and bone.

Whale reached for her with his metallic hand, but again, she grabbed him by the wrist and with minimal effort, ripped his entire cybernetic arm from its socket. The wires snapped and sparked, and the cyborg was left completely and utterly defenseless against his creation. His eye grew wide with horror at the realization of what he’d done, and what was being done to him. He had created a monster, and now it was killing him, something he never thought possible.

For the first time in his long life, Whale feared death.

The last thing he saw was Gemini standing over him, glaring at him with her murderous red eyes and baring her teeth like a wild beast. She was completely naked, with her face and chest spattered with his blood. She ripped the scalpel from his throat and scurried off into the darkness, leaving him alone to die a slow, painful death.

Gemini darted into the pod, entranced by its flickering lights as it opened up for her with the mere push of a button. Her crazed eyes scanned the strange symbols on the panel, not knowing what they meant. Regardless, she pushed one, and the pod door slid shut. This startled her, but not nearly as much as the feeling of the pod moving upward. She pressed her back and hands against the wall, frightened, but was soon relieved when the door opened up again. She was puzzled when she saw a different room awaiting her on the other side.

It was a long corridor. She poked her head out and stepped slowly away from the pod. Her head shot up when she caught a glimpse of someone turning the corner. It was a blue-skinned man in a black uniform. He frowned at her and withdrew the strange device from his belt, aiming it at her with trembling hands. His golden eyes were wide with alarm.

“C— Captain! Put your hands above your head!”

Gemini just cocked her head in confusion, which seemed to make the man even angrier. He stepped closer to her, though still kept a good distance between them.

“NOW!” he shouted.

This angered the blonde. She wasn’t sure what this man wanted from her, but she saw no reason to put her hands in the air. Did he want her to retrieve something? She would not be his slave, nor anyone else’s.

“Captain Swan, I said put your hands up!”

Fuming, Gemini realized she still had the scalpel in her hand, and it was at this moment that the guard noticed as well.

“Drop your weapon!”

The blonde charged towards him and he responded by firing his weapon at her. Fortunately, she was much too quick, and was able to dodge the laser. She slid along the floor, stunning the guard long enough to slash at his leg with the scalpel. The man cursed at her, dropping his weapon. Sadly for him, Gemini was able to swipe the gun from the ground and as she slid between the man’s legs, she put her finger on the trigger and aimed it at his mortified face. He started to shout again, but he never got the chance, for the blonde had already blown his head off with his own gun.

The guard’s corpse fell to the floor without grace, bleeding out rapidly from his singed neck. Gemini jumped to her feet, looked around frantically, and spotted a door that led outside. She threw down the scalpel and rushed out the door, panting heavily as she high-tailed it through the dark alcove and out into the Capital, still entirely naked, gun in hand, and covered in the blood of two men.


	13. Double Trouble

Emma stirred in her bed as she felt the warm sun flooding through the window, bathing her pale skin in its light. She stretched her arms with a contented sigh and turned onto her side to face the Queen, but when she opened her eyes, she was disappointed to find the brunette missing. She shrugged it off, assuming the Queen simply had some diplomatic matters to deal with, and slipped into her leather and breechcloth. She was in the midst of fastening her shoulder plates when a frantic knock came from the door.

“Captain!” It was Baelfire. He sounded like he was panicking.

Emma frowned in confusion. “What?”

“You need to get out here, now!”

Bewildered, Emma opened the door and found Baelfire staring at her in utter disbelief. This only baffled her further.

“What— What’s going on?” she asked reluctantly.

The man held up a small screen, on which a video was playing. It looked like camera footage. What the Captain saw left her horrified. She struggled to find words. There, on camera, was a woman who looked practically identical to her, savagely murdering a guard— and not just any guard. It was Harvell, an older man who used to share his pastries with her when she was a kid. Tears slipped down Emma’s cheeks.

“I— I didn’t do this,” she rasped, “This isn’t me.” She began to cry openly. “This isn’t me!” she screamed, “I would never do something like that! You _have_ to believe me!”

Baelfire put a hand on her shoulder, stunning her into silence.

“I _do_ believe you, Captain,” he stated firmly, “No one here thinks you did this. Look again. Look closely. Does this woman really look like you?”

Emma studied the still image carefully. Baelfire was right. This imposter, whoever she was, was completely naked, exposing the blood on her face and chest. It was as red as her eyes. She didn’t have any tattoos, and most importantly, both her hands were intact.

The Captain had little time to consider the implications of this, for the ship’s hatch had just opened up, and the Queen was entering with a pair of guards. Emma’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

“Your Majesty, I—”

The Queen held up a hand, silencing her. “You didn’t do this. I know, Captain.”

“Y-You _do?”_

The Queen gave a curt nod. “Yes. I’ve reviewed the footage multiple times. There is no way that woman could be you. She has no tattoos, she’s got both hands, and her eyes are red. Besides, _I_ am your alibi. We were together all night. You’ve got nothing to worry about, Swan.”

“Then why are these guys here?” Emma asked, gesturing to the guards.

“We’re here to protect you, Captain,” said the shorter of the two.

“Why? Am I in danger?”

“Possibly,” said the Queen, “Whoever this woman is, it’s clear she’s trying to look like you. There’s a good chance she will make an attempt on your life, perhaps to replace you. For this reason, I have decided to put you and your crew on temporal leave. You are to remain with me at all times. If I am unavailable, then you will be under the supervision of the guards.”

Emma hugged herself tightly. “Okay,” she said, hanging her head in shame.

The Queen placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You have nothing to worry about, Swan,” she assured, “I don’t know what exactly is going on here, but I promise you, I will get to the bottom of this. We will get justice for Harvell, and anyone else this woman may have harmed.”

The brunette turned to face the two guards. “I will escort Captain Swan to my quarters. She is to remain with me for the time being. I want guards to escort her crew, as well,” she declared, “Put the entire palace on lockdown, and send a warrant out for the arrest of the imposter. I will not have my most loyal soldier’s name tarnished by that _monster.”_

The two guards brought their fists over their hearts and bowed. _“Yes, my Queen,”_ they said in unison.

The Queen peered back over her shoulder at the stunned blonde. “Come along, Swan.”

Emma was still in shock. “Uh— yeah. Sure. Just let me grab something.”

She darted into her room and swiped Rocinante out from under her pillow before rejoining the Queen. The brunette raised a curious eyebrow at her but smiled faintly upon seeing what she’d felt the need to retrieve.

“Seal off your ship, Captain. We cannot have that imposter attempting to break in.”

“Right. August, lock up once we’re out of here. You know my face. You know what I look like. If you see someone posing as me, you can’t let them in, no matter what. Got that?”

 _“Of course,”_ came August’s voice.

“Let’s go with the codeword, just to be safe. You know the one. If that imposter can’t come up with it, you’ll know it isn’t me. If that happens, then shoot her, but just stun her. Don’t kill her. I need to know what the hell’s going on.”

_“Sure thing, Captain.”_

\---

The blonde made her way into the dark tavern, wrapped in a crimson cloak with the hood up to shield her face. She’d swiped it from a clothesline, along with a sleeveless black tunic and some loose brown pants. Unfortunately, she had yet to find anything to cover her aching feet.

She glared at the other patrons with hateful red eyes when she noticed them watching her, which quickly prompted them to look away. She took a seat at the table in the back corner, closest to the exit, and observed the others from afar. There were men and women of various shapes, sizes, and colors, but not a single one of them looked like her.

What was she? _Who_ was she? The Metal Man had called her _Gemini,_ but the significance of that name was lost on her. She stared down at her hands curiously. They were now free of blood, as she’d found a puddle of water in the alcove and used it to cleanse her pale skin. She was the only one here with white skin, aside from the Metal Man. Was he her father? No. That couldn’t be it. He had expressed his desire to have her as his Queen. The thought sickened her.

“Hey there, pretty lady, how about I buy you a drink?” asked a green-skinned man as he approached her table.

The blonde’s eyes narrowed. “No,” she hissed, “Leave.”

The man scowled. “And just who do you think you are, saying ‘no’ to a guy like me?” he slurred, visibly drunk.

Gemini slipped her hand under the table, reaching for her weapon, but paused when the purple, four-armed man behind the counter piped up.

“Leave the woman alone, Walsh!” he barked, “She doesn’t want your company, and I certainly don’t blame her.”

The man called Walsh scoffed, glaring at both the blonde and the barkeeper before stumbling his way back to his table, where he rejoined his rowdy group of friends to continue destroying their kidneys. The blonde watched warily as the four-armed man approached her, moving to sit across from her with an amused smile.

“You’ll have to excuse Walsh,” he told her, “He’s a nuisance, but harmless. My name’s Jack, by the way. I run this place. What might I call you, Miss? You look familiar, but I can’t seem to place you.”

The blonde watched him carefully for any signs of danger, but he didn’t move. Perhaps this was a man she could form some sort of alliance with.

“M-My name is Gem— Gemini,” she stuttered, still not used to forming words.

Jack’s smile widened. “Gemini, huh? That’s a nice name. Do you have a sister? A twin, maybe? Now that I think about it, I have seen you before. Or at least, someone who looks a lot like you.”

Gemini shook her head. “No sister,” she grunted, “Just me.”

“No? Well, I guess I just mistook you for someone else, then,” said Jack, “So, where are you from?”

“Palace,” said the blonde.

“Yeah? You a guard or something?”

The young woman frowned, growing tense yet again. “No!” she said quickly, seemingly-offended by the suggestion.

Jack just raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t press the matter any further. “Alright then,” he said, “So, what is it you do?”

Gemini just blinked at him.

“You know, for work?”

“No work,” said the blonde.

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry to hear that. Would you like to work here?”

Gemini was clearly apprehensive about this. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words ever came, so she and Jack sat there in awkward silence. It was the barkeeper who eventually broke the tension.

“Well, if you change your mind, just know the offer is still on the table.” Gemini’s brows furrowed in confusion. She looked long and hard at the table, but it was entirely spotless. There was nothing there. Nothing to be found. Jack watched her with fascination as well as amusement by her naivete and her almost-childlike nature. It was almost charming.

“You’re really something, you know that? I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Gem. Can I call you that? _Gem?”_

The blonde blinked at him in surprise, feeling a strange warmth fluttering in her chest at his words. She wasn’t exactly sure what this sensation was, or what it meant, but she found it oddly appealing. She just nodded slowly, unable to find her voice, and for the first time in her short but eventful life, she smiled. It was faint, but it was enough. Jack extended a hand to her, which she took reluctantly.

 _“Gem,”_ she murmured.

\---

“Emma, we have a problem,” the Queen said grimly.

The Captain’s heart raced upon hearing this. She started to say something, but the brunette beat her to it.

“The fingerprints we found on the scalpel belong to you.”

Emma just about fainted.


	14. Crisis in the Capital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: murder/thoughts of suicide

Emma sobbed openly at the Queen’s feet, grasping at the woman’s leg and staring up at her with tearful, pleading eyes. They looked as though they were about to burst from their sockets.

“You can’t _really_ believe I’m a murderer, Regina! We were together all night! Tell me you don’t think I had anything to do with this!”

The brunette hesitated. “I’m well-aware that you were with me, Emma, but how do you explain the fingerprints we found? They’re yours. Despite your slight differences, the woman in that video _does_ look almost identical to you.”

“I don’t know how to explain it!” the Captain cried, “But there’s no way that could have been me! We both know I was with you last night! I never left your side! Hell, I had my face between your legs half the time! Are you seriously suggesting that wasn’t really me? That I was off _murdering_ my friend? Why would I ever do that?! Especially to Harvell?!”

The Queen let out a sullen sigh and hung her head in a mix of shame and defeat, shaking it slowly.

“You know I don’t want to believe that this could have been you,” she said, “but the evidence certainly makes it appear that way. Let’s not focus on what I think. We’ve got to concentrate on the public’s reaction. What will they think when they find out someone who looks near-identical to a famed Starship Captain— with _identical_ fingerprints— killed a guard? And judging by the blood on her body, he obviously wasn’t the only one she murdered.”

Emma buried her face in her hands and continued to weep. She was on her knees, no longer resembling the courageous Captain Swan, but the timid young girl who pleaded with the Queen to take her away from Earth.

Feeling sympathetic for her blonde companion, the Queen knelt down so that they were eye to eye, and she pulled the weeping woman into a gentle embrace. She pressed her lips to Emma’s temple, murmuring softly to the Captain as if she was a child again.

“I told you, Emma, everything is going to be alright. Whatever is going on here, I will get to the bottom of it, and I will find the true culprit. I promise, I will do everything in my power to find justice for Harvell and his family.”

This only made the Captain cry harder. “Oh _God,”_ she choked, “His family. He has a _family—_ and they’re going to think I stole him from them! They’re going to think _I_ did this! I would never take someone away from their family! All I’ve ever wanted is one of my own! I could never do something like that, Regina, I—”

The Queen pressed a finger to the blonde’s lips. “Shhh,” she cooed, “Just try and relax, Emma. Breathe.”

Emma continued to sob. “Maybe I never should have left Earth. If I had just stayed there and lived a normal life, then none of this would have ever happened. Your crew wouldn’t have betrayed you. Harvell wouldn’t be dead. You wouldn’t have had to put up with me. After all, I’m just a _disgusting human!_ A pathetic waste of oxygen—”

With an exasperated huff, the Queen grabbed hold of the Captain’s face.

“Emma! Listen to what you’re saying!” she snapped, “Don’t you _dare_ speak of yourself in such a way! That is an order, not from your Queen, but from your _friend!_ And as your friend, I will not allow you to downgrade yourself, nor will I allow you to wallow in self-pity. You are not like other humans, Emma. You are unlike anyone I have ever met. There is no one else like you. You are unique. You are special. You are many things, Emma, but a murderer isn’t one of them.”

Emma was in awe. “But— what about my evil twin?”

“We’re still looking for her,” said the Queen, “I’ve got cavaliers searching the city. She ran out of the palace, but no one has a clue what became of her.”

“Where did she even come from?” asked Emma.

“The footage shows her stepping out of the pod on the ground level.”

The Captain frowned. “And do you know where pod was launched from?”

The Queen blinked as if in confusion, but then her eyes widened in realization and she ran to the comm on the wall, pushing the large red button.

“Come in, Comm Watchman!” she said frantically.

 _“Yes, Your Majesty?”_ came the nervous voice of the guard.

“I need you to tell me which level the pod was launched from just before the murder of Watchman Grent Harvell.”

 _“I-It was Sector 108, Majesty,”_ replied the guard.

The Queen’s blood boiled, yet the Captain felt completely and utterly frozen in horrified realization. With a snarl, the Queen turned and stormed into the pod fixed to the outside of her tower. Emma was quick to follow, suddenly finding it in her to move again. Neither of them could believe what they’d just heard.

“I should have known!” the Queen fumed, “That bastard cloned you! Whale _cloned_ you, Emma!”

Emma swallowed fearfully. “But, how could he have—”

Her eyes grew impossibly-wide. The Queen stared at her with uncertainty, waving a hand in front of her face in an attempt to pull her out of whatever trance she was currently in.

“Emma?”

“Oh my God,” she whispered, “He used my hand.” Her voice grew louder, in a blend of fury and disbelief. “He used my fucking _hand_ to clone that evil bitch! I swear to fucking God, that piece of shit is gonna pay! I didn’t kill Harvell, but I’ve got no qualms about killing Whale!”

“Emma!” the Queen snapped, “Get a hold of yourself! We will interrogate Whale and figure this out, the right way. Of course what he did was wrong, but we still need to do things accordingly.”

When the pod reached Sector 108, the two women stepped out with their guns drawn and ready to fire if necessary. The Queen was the first to call out.

“Whale!” she shouted, “Step into the light, and put your hands where I can see them! You’re under—”

She froze. This left Emma confused, but when the blonde peered over the Queen’s shoulder, she was shocked to find Whale’s broken body lying in a pool of his own blood. His throat had been slashed and his mechanical right arm had been completely torn from its socket.

“Oh shit,” Emma said in disgust, “I know what I said, but I wouldn’t have done _this._ I don’t even think I’m strong enough to tear off a man’s arm, bionic or not.”

“But it would seem that your clone _is.”_

“How’s that even possible? I thought you needed a heart and a brain to clone someone?”

“Only if you want to resurrect them,” said the Queen, “like in my case. It’s rare to successfully clone a person without them, but certainly not impossible. I can’t believe I didn’t even think about this. It all makes so much sense.”

“What are we gonna tell people?”

The Queen hesitated, turning to face the Captain. “The truth,” she said softly.

Emma’s eyes widened. _“What?_ But if people know about cloning, they might figure out how you’ve stayed in power for so long!”

The Queen gave a sad smile as she reached up to caress Emma’s face. “Anything to clear your name, my little human.”

\---

Gem was up in the loft above the tavern, cleaning the blood off of the knife in her hand. It was a nice knife. A good knife. One she’d swiped from behind the bar when Jack wasn’t looking. One she’d tucked into the back of her belt. One she’d driven into his chest again and again when he tried to force himself on her. And to think she’d almost started to like him. Fortunately, he wasn’t strong enough to push her away, not even with four arms.

She’d had to bathe again and forgo her blood-stained clothing, taking some from Jack’s wardrobe: a dark blue— almost black— tunic and a pair of black pants with matching leather boots. Of course, she kept her red cloak, finding it much to her liking. Besides, the fabric was indistinguishable from the blood.

She now had her back turned to him, but as she was standing in front of the mirror, she caught a glimpse of him on the blood-soaked bed, his arms hanging limply off the crimson mattress, and roughly thirty stab-wounds in his bare chest. His lilac skin was painted red with death. His eyes were wide with terror and confusion.

Gem’s lips curled into a cold smile as she turned to face the man’s bloody corpse, and she tucked the blade back into her new belt. Before she left the room, however, she retrieved the guard’s weapon from the table and aimed it at Jack’s manhood, firing a scorching laser directly into his crotch.

She put the gun in her belt alongside the knife and, still smiling, made her way out of the empty tavern and into the alcove, where she came upon a small group of older men with worn, tattered clothing. The men looked malnourished, as if they hadn’t eaten in some time. Now that she thought about it, Gem hadn’t gotten any sustenance, either. Her body needed food.

By chance, she just so happened to smell something sweet wafting in the air and followed the aroma to a nearby building where she found food on display in the window. She approached the window, walking out into the open and forgetting to put up her hood. As she made her way closer to the window, two men in uniform happened to be rounding the corner. She turned and narrowed her eyes at them when she noticed them staring at her, and when she did, she reached back to retrieve her gun, but the two men already had theirs aimed at her.

“Don’t move!” one of them shouted.

He was a tall man with black hair, gray skin, and yellow, serpentine eyes. His ears were pointed. Protruding from his forehead was a pair of long, silver horns that pointed upwards, and from his back, a set of enormous, leathery wings. The horned man’s partner was a shorter, rounder man, much like the guard Gem had killed, though this one had faint, purple skin like Jack, a thick brown mustache, and four red eyes.

“Get on the ground!” shouted the mustached man.

Gem didn’t move.

 _“Now!”_ the horned man snapped.

“You’re under arrest for the murder of Grent Harvell!”

By now, the patrons in the bakery come up near the window to see what was going on. Gem glanced at them briefly before turning her attention back to the guards, and when she tried reaching for her gun again, they began firing at her. She was able to dodge the lasers, however, and ducked into the bakery, terrifying the people inside. She spotted a young blonde girl, likely no older than ten, and grabbed the child, pressing her gun to the terrified girl’s temple.

Another blonde, presumably the girl’s mother, screamed in horror when she saw Gem put a gun to her daughter’s head. She was crying and pleading with the insane woman to release the girl, but Gem was having none of it. In fact, the mother’s cries were grating on Gem’s nerves. The other customers, including the young girl, screamed in utter terror and dread as Gemini fired a hole through the blonde woman’s head. The little girl was easily the most traumatized of them all.

 ** _“MOMMY!”_ **she screamed.

She tried to run to what was left of her mother, but Gem grabbed her by the hair and jerked her backwards, causing her to cry out in pain. She kicked, struggled, and screamed, but again, Gem was having none of it.

“Quiet!” Gem shouted, pressing the gun to the side of the girl’s head yet again. “Go, back door! Now!”

With the mortified child in tow, Gemini rushed out the back of the bakery. There, they were met by more city guards, fully-prepared to shoot, but the cavaliers all hesitated upon seeing the child.

“Let the kid go!” one shouted.

“Monster!” cried another.

“Show some mercy!”

“You’re supposed to be better than this, Captain!”

This made Gem falter a bit. She frowned. _Captain?_ That was what the palace guard had called her. Captain Swan. That was the name the Metal Man had mentioned. Why was that, again? Was this Captain Swan somehow related to her? Her eyes widened as she recalled the Metal Man’s words. He had cloned her from this ‘Captain Swan.’ These guards thought she was the Captain. Maybe— just maybe— she could find a way to use this to her advantage.

“Drop the weapon, Captain! We have you surrounded!”

“I just received word that she murdered a civilian!” shouted one of the guards, “They say it was the girl’s mother!”

Now the girl was crying even harder, calling out for her mother, yet receiving no answer. She was having thoughts no child should ever have. She wanted to be wherever her mother was. She, at just ten years-old, was praying for Death to come and take her away.

 _“Please,”_ she rasped. Her voice was now hoarse from screaming. _“Please, I just wanna be with Mommy.”_

Gem took hold of the broken girl and hoisted her up, still holding a gun to her head, but she no longer cared. The clone spotted a manhole in the ground and in one swift motion, vaporized it with a laser and jumped down into the darkness with the despondent child. The guards were shouting up above, jumping in after her, but the murderous blonde had already vanished into the shadows.

The guards switched on the lights on their badges to guide them through the darkness, but Gem was nowhere to be found.

“You three, check the left tunnel, and you three check the right,” said a green-skinned man, “John, Scarlet, you two are coming with me. If you see her, shoot if you must, but do everything you can to keep the girl out of danger. Just shoot the Captain in the leg. I pray she doesn’t harm the child.”

 _“Yes, sir!”_ the guards said in unison.

\---

“Your Majesty?” asked a palace guard.

“Yes?”

“I’ve just received word from one of the city guards. The murderer was spotted in front of a local bakery. Two guards confronted her, but she ran inside and took a young girl hostage. She also killed the girl’s mother. Apparently she escaped into the Underground. There is a squad after her now.”

“Shit!” the Queen hissed, “Who is commanding this squad?”

“Watchman Rob Loxley, my Queen.”

The Queen slammed her fist down on the table in rage.

“Damn it! What is that idiot thinking?! His ego is going to get him and his men killed! If that harpy doesn’t get to him first, the Grawlers certainly will!”


	15. The Grawlers

Gem rounded a corner and snuck a glance over her shoulder, thinking she had lost the Watchmen, but when she turned back, she stopped dead in her tracks. Standing before her, guns drawn, was a group of unsavory characters who were far from happy to see her.

“What do you think you’re doing down here?” one of them demanded.

He was a reptilian creature with an open black vest and a large rifle in his hands. His forked tongue darted out of his mouth, allowing him to smell the air before retracting just as quickly.

“She reeks of blood,” he said, “Who are you? What business do you have with us?”

Gem frowned. “Guards,” she grunted, “After me. Must flee.”

The reptilian lowered his gun. “She’s telling the truth. I can smell some Watchmen nearby.”

“How do we know she’s not one of them?” asked a blue man.

“I think I recognize her,” said a green-skinned man, “She looks like the Queen’s pet human. You know, the one that became a Starship Captain?”

“I bet she’s a spy!” shouted the blue man.

Gem’s frown deepened. “No,” she hissed, “Not spy.”

“Why is she talking like that? Is she stupid, or something?” asked the green man.

The others laughed, save for the reptilian. He did not look pleased, but he kept his eyes on Gem. After a moment, he turned his attention to the dispirited child she was carrying. He locked eyes with her and frowned.

“Whose child is this? Is she yours?”

Gem shook her head. “Hostage,” she said, “Killed mother.”

“You killed her mother? Damn. Even _I_ think that’s cold.”

“What do we do with her, Krybdyr?” asked the blue man.

“We’ll have to take it up with the Boss,” said the reptilian.

 _“Take_ what _up with me?”_ came a voice.

The stunned crowd parted, revealing a pale man whose head was ablaze with an icy-blue flame. His eyes emitted an eerie glow of the same shade. A cold smile graced his lips as he met the blonde’s gaze.

“Well, well,” he said, “What have we here? If it isn’t Captain Swan.”

Gem bared her teeth at him in primal rage. “No,” she hissed, “Not Swan!”

“Oh? Enlighten me, then. Who are you, and what are you doing in my domain?”

“Gem,” said the blonde, “I am Gem. Hiding from guards.”

The pale man regarded her curiously, eyeing the young girl she was holding. The girl was staring hopelessly at the ground, not saying a word. She didn’t seem to be aware of anything that was happening around her.

“I’ll tell you what, _‘Gem,’”_ said the man, “You take out at least three of those Watchmen, and I’ll be more than happy to let you into my sanctuary. Just hand over the girl first.”

Gem was hesitant to part with her hostage, but she needed security, and she supposed killing those city guards wouldn’t be all that difficult. She gave a small nod, setting the girl down.

“Go,” she said sternly.

The girl didn’t move. The pale man snapped his fingers, and the reptilian stepped forward to retrieve her. Even then, she made no move to resist as he hoisted her up in the crook of his shoulder and rejoined the others.

“Good,” said the pale man, “Now, take care of the Watchmen.”

Gem turned and darted around the corner from whence she came, drawing her gun with one hand and her knife with the other. She sped through the darkness, guided only by the light from the drains overhead. The stench of sewage overwhelmed her, but she persisted. It wasn’t long before she came across a scrawny-looking guard with crimson skin and pointed ears. He gasped when he saw her.

“Loxley! It’s the Captain! She—”

He was cut off as Gem fired her gun, vaporizing half of his face and leaving him to die a quick death in the filthy sewer water.

“Scarlet!” shouted Loxley.

He swiftly withdrew his gun and aimed it at Gem, firing without hesitation. Unfortunately, when the dust cleared, he was shocked to find her missing. He cried out in agony as he felt a sharp blade pierce his back.

_“You bitch!”_

He spun around swiftly, just as the blonde ripped the bloody knife from his flesh, and went to shoot at her again, but before he could squeeze the trigger, she roundhouse kicked his hand, sending the gun flying through the air. Gem then delivered a powerful punch to the man’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. She was about to shoot him, but sensed someone behind her and turned to face the tall, bearded man barreling towards her. 

“Surrender, Captain!”

He tried to grab her, but she fired a hole through his stomach and he roared in pain, clutching at his wound instinctively. That was his biggest mistake. Gem blasted his head clean off, sending him toppling over backwards and crashing into the murky sewage. Now the place reeked of burnt flesh and rancid, rotten filth.

Gem stood there in silence, listening carefully for the rest of the guards, and in mere moments, they came running. They rounded the corner and were immediately bombarded by a torrent of deadly lasers, ripping into them and burning holes in their flesh as they screamed in agony. It was over in a matter of seconds. Soon they were all dead, or so she thought. When she passed by the green-skinned man, she heard him groan and realized he was still alive. Her eyes narrowed and she aimed her gun at the back of his head, but paused when she heard the pale man call out to her.

“Leave him be,” said the pale man, “This one’s got some nice features. I know some of the folks down here would _love_ to have a go at him.”

Gem wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but she didn’t care. She tucked away her gun and knife, folding her arms in defiance. The pale man shot her a cold smile, catching her off-guard, and extended a hand to her.

“Well done, Gem. You’ve passed the test. Welcome to the Grawlers.”

Gem took his hand reluctantly. “Grawlers?” she quizzed. “It’s a name we were given by the surface-dwellers,” the pale man explained, “Gangsters. Nightcrawlers. _Grawlers._ They gave us that name to insult us— to degrade us— but we embraced it. We wear it like a badge of honor. And now, Gem, you are one of us.”

The blonde eyed him warily. “What,” she paused, “W-What is y— your name?” The man’s smile widened. “I’m so glad you asked,” he said, “My name is Mr. H.”

Just then, a handful of Grawlers approached from the opposite end of the tunnel, looting the bodies of the Watchmen for their weapons and other valuables. They soon made their way towards Mr. H and began taking the weapons off of the two guards.

“Hey, Boss, this one’s still breathing,” said the blue man, “Want me to gut him?”

“No,” said Mr. H, “Take him to Miss C. I know she would appreciate a new plaything.”

“Sure thing, Boss.”

The blue man hoisted up the wounded guard, dragging him off to some unknown fate within the depths of the Underground. Mr. H turned and followed after them, folding his hands behind his back as he casually stepped around the man called Scarlet.

“Come along, Gem. Let me show you your new home.”

With only a moment of hesitation, the blonde followed. She watched with an unreadable expression as the green-skinned guard began to regain consciousness, struggling and shouting at the blue man, but he was much too weak to escape.

“Let me go!” he demanded, “I am a Watchman! You will pay for this! Every last one of you!”

Mr. H laughed dementedly. “Oh, yes, people will be paying, alright. I just know you’ll be quite the money-maker.”

Loxley was quiet for a moment, visibly puzzled by this, but his eyes grew wide with horror as he realized what exactly the pale man was implying.

“NO!” he screamed, “I won’t let you do this to me! I am a Galan soldier! I have a wife! I’m to be a father! You can’t do this to me! You monster! How could you do this, Swan?! How could you do this to a fellow officer?!”

The blonde’s eyes narrowed. “My name,” she hissed, “is Gem.”

\---

The young girl was still unresponsive, even after the reptilian had brought her back to his abode. She didn’t struggle. She didn’t scream. She didn’t cry. She had absolutely no reaction, and that truly unnerved him.

“What is your name, girl?” he asked quietly.

At long last, she raised her head and acknowledged him. “Kimber,” she whispered.

“Kimber,” said the reptilian, “Well, it’s nice to meet you, little one. I am Krybdyr.” He paused for a moment. “Tell me something, child. Do I frighten you?”

“No,” Kimber rasped.

This came as a surprise to the reptilian, but he could sense that she was telling him the truth. With a faint smile, he knelt down so that they were eye to eye and rested a clawed hand atop her head. She just blinked at him with an unreadable expression, but said nothing.

“Do you wish to be here?” he asked her.

“I wanna be with Mommy,” she said.

“Your mother,” said Krybdyr, “Was she taken from you?”

Kimber gave a small nod. “By the bad lady.”

“You mean Gem?”

Again, the girl just nodded.

Krybdyr sat back, regarding her with concern. He watched her for a moment, wondering if she would say anything else, but she remained silent and was soon lost in a thousand-yard stare. The reptilian rose up and stepped into the bedroom, where he found his mate sleeping soundly. He gently shook her awake.

“Tega,” he whispered, “Tega, wake up.”

The reptilian woman groaned as she stirred. “What?” she mumbled.

“I may have found us a child,” he told her.

This got her full attention. “What did you say?”

“There is a young girl, just in the other room. Her name is Kimber. We could raise her as our own. If that is what you want, of course.”

The woman just nodded and followed her mate into the next room, where she found a young girl, maybe ten, sitting at the table with her head down and her hands in her lap. They exchanged concerned glances, but the woman slowly approached the girl and knelt down beside her.

“Hello, little one,” she murmured, “My name is Tega. I assume you’ve already become acquainted with Krybdyr. We would both like to know if you would be willing to live here, with us. We have been trying for many years, but cannot have offspring of our own. Would you like to stay here, child?”

“Alright,” Kimber said sullenly.

Tega stepped back and took Krybdyr’s hand, squeezing it affectionately. With their eyes gleaming, they exchanged hopeful smiles. Kimber was no hatchling, but perhaps she was just what they needed.

\---

Emma paced back and forth across the room, frantic as she awaited the Queen’s return from the meeting with the Head Watchman. The brunette had been gone for nearly an hour now, and the Captain was growing impatient.

At long last, the Queen returned to her chamber. She entered the room with a grim expression masking her face, and it was in that moment that Emma felt her heart sank.

“She killed someone else, didn’t she?” the blonde asked reluctantly.

The Queen couldn’t bring herself to meet the Captain’s gaze. “Yes. Nine, to be exact. Eight Watchmen, and a civilian woman. She even took the woman’s daughter hostage. She escaped into the Underground and the guards went after her. It wasn’t long before she killed them. Their bodies were found in the alcove, reeking of sewage. Several of them had their heads blown off. The squad’s leader, Watchman Loxley, was not among them. I suspect he’s been taken hostage as well.”

Emma ran her hands through her hair and shook her head in disbelief. She sat on the bed, feeling nauseous as grief whirled in the pit of her stomach.

“They think I’m a murderer,” she sobbed, “I’m no killer, Regina! They have to know this isn’t me! Aren’t you going to tell them about the cloning? Or is there some other way to prove my innocence?”

The Queen took a seat beside her and brought a hand to her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

“I’m working on the best way to address this subject, Emma,” she said, “I was thinking that I could simply say that Whale was conducting illegal cloning experiments behind everyone’s back, and that the killer is an unlawful and dangerous creation of his, which no one else knew about. That way, I can hopefully maintain my secret and clear your good name all at once. I know I said I would do everything I could to prove you’re innocent, Captain, but I must also work to uphold both our reputations.”

“And you think people will believe that?”

“Don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” said Emma, “I’m just horrified by this whole thing. I don’t want people to look at me and see the face of a killer, but how many people do you think are going to buy that story? We both know cloning is possible, but do they? I imagine most of them, if not all, will point and laugh when you say, ‘Oh, it’s not _really_ Emma Swan out there! It’s her evil twin!’ We’ve got to think about this, Regina. I mean really think about it. Otherwise, my life is over.”

The Queen took the blonde’s face in her hands ever so gently.

“If all goes wrong,” she said, “then perhaps the two of us can begin a new life. Together.”

Emma gaped at her in shock. “You— You would give up your throne? For me?”

“If I must,” the brunette murmured. Her eyes glistened. “I love you, Emma Swan.”


	16. Hope

“So tell me, Gem,” said Mr. H, “If you aren’t Emma Swan, then why do you look like her?”

“Clone,” replied the blonde.

This intrigued the pale man. “A clone, you say? Why, I had no idea it was possible. Who cloned you?”

“Metal Man,” said Gem.

“Metal Man? You mean an android? Or a cyborg?”

“Half-metal. In palace.”

“A cyborg in the palace?”

Gem just nodded.

“Interesting,” said Mr. H, “I’ve got an inside man. I’m sure he can figure out who this cyborg is.”

“No,” said Gem, “Killed him.”

This enraged the pale man, judging by the way the flames on his head erupted with fury. He shot up out of his chair and stormed towards the stoic blonde, who stood her ground despite feeling genuine unease.

“You killed him?! He held the secrets of cloning, and you _killed_ the guy?!”

Gem’s eyes narrowed. “Had to,” she said bitterly.

Mr. H started to say something else, but the blue man came rushing in, gun in hand and looking alarmed.

“Something wrong, Boss?”

The pale man regained his composure. “No, Azra,” he said calmly, “Thank you for your concern.”

“No problem, Mr. H.”

The blue man started to turn away, but paused to look back when he heard the flame-headed man call out to him.

“Oh, and Azra?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Don’t you _ever_ interrupt me again.”

Azra’s eyes widened. “S-Sorry, Boss!” And he scurried away like the rat that he was.

Mr. H relaxed a bit, moving to sit back in his chair with an unreadable expression masking his pale face. He folded his fingers as if plotting something particularly-sinister.

“I apologize for my outburst. As a Mitean, I tend to get a bit,” he paused, _“heated.”_ Blue sparks leapt from his eyes. “Anyway, I must confess, I am intrigued by you, Gem. You look so much like the Captain, though I’m fairly certain she doesn’t have red eyes. Is that some sort of defect? A mutation, perhaps?”

Gem shook her head. “Do not know.”

“If you and I are going to communicate, you’re going to have to learn proper Galan.”

The pale man rose from his chair and walked silently to the enormous bookcase nearby, selecting nearly fifteen books from the various shelves. He soon returned and set them all down on his desk. He placed his hand atop the stack and looked up at the blonde with an unnerving smile.

“Here,” he said, “Start with these.”

\---

The holographic image of the Queen appeared in every ship, home, business, and alcove, all across the planet.

_“Attention, people of Skráv Jangála: as I am sure you are all aware, there has been a string of murders taking place as of late, committed by a woman resembling our own Captain Emma Swan. It is worth noting that during the time of these murders, the good Captain has been at my side. She could not have committed these heinous crimes, nor would she, had she been given the chance.”_

The entire planet was in shock.

_“After a lengthy investigation into the origins of this imposter, I have discovered that the murderer initially came from Sector 108, and upon reviewing the footage, learned of the unlawful experiments conducted by the cyborg known as Whale. During a battle with a rogue android, Captain Swan’s hand was severed, and subsequently replaced with a bionic prosthesis. Whale used the Captain’s hand to clone this cold-blooded killer.”_

The image of the Queen was soon replaced with that of the clone alongside that of Emma, yet the monarch’s voice continued to ring out.

_“Here is a side-by-side of the Captain and her clone. See how similar they are, yet also how different. As you can see, the clone has both hands intact, and her eyes are red. Why this is, I cannot say, but it is imperative that you all keep this in mind. Let me make this clear to you: Emma Swan is no killer. She was with me when the clone executed Watchman Grent Harvell, just as she was with me during the massacre in the Capital. The clone was last seen escaping into the Underground with a young girl as her hostage. The girl has been formally identified as Kimber Zakón, age ten, daughter of the late Aya Zakón, another one of the clone’s victims.”_

The images of the young girl and her deceased mother flashed before the eyes of the horrified citizens. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing, much less what they were hearing. Or rather, they didn’t _want_ to believe it.

_“Additionally, the clone has massacred eight Watchmen, all belonging to the Green Squad. These Watchmen are: Scarlet, John, Miller, Dale, Doncaster, Stutely, Whitehand, and Reynold. The squad leader, Watchman Loxley, has yet to be found. We have reason to believe he may have been taken hostage as well. If any of you see the murderous clone, you MUST report her location to your local Watchmen. She is armed and incredibly dangerous. Just make sure you get somewhere safe. If she sees you, I have no doubt that she will come for you. If I were you, I would sleep with one eye open. Stay close to your children and your loved ones. Do not let them out of your sight. Lock your doors and windows. Until the killer is found, I am issuing a curfew, and there will be a Watchman posted outside each and every last home. They will do everything in their power to keep you and your families safe.”_

\---

When the Queen arrived back at her chamber, she was stunned to find the Captain curled up in a fetal position on her bed, facing away from the door.

“Emma?” she asked softly, “Are you alright?”

“You want the short answer or the long answer?” Emma asked dryly.

The Queen pursed her lips, but her eyes gleamed with sympathy. She sat on the edge of the bed and placed a gentle hand onto the blonde’s arm in an attempt to provide solace.

“What can I do to make you feel better?” she murmured.

There was a moment of hesitation on the Captain’s end. “Hold me?” asked Emma.

With a sad smile, the Queen moved to lie behind her blonde companion and held her close. She hummed in appreciation as she took in the sweet scent of the woman’s golden tresses.

“Your hair smells divine,” she said.

“Thanks,” Emma said halfheartedly.

The Queen’s grip on the blonde tightened. “I know you’re upset, Emma, and I understand your concerns, but this will all come to pass— hopefully sooner than later. Perhaps when this is over, you and I can go on an expedition of our own.”

“What kind of expedition? Where would we go?”

“Wherever you like, my little human.”

Once more, the blonde hesitated. “Regina?”

“Yes?”

“Lilith has requested a trip back to Drakken’haem, in the Forbidden Regions. She told me she needs to make amends with her mother, but she didn’t give me the details. Then again, I didn’t ask.”

“And you wish to join her?”

“She asked me if I would,” said Emma, “but of course, I told her I needed to ask you first.”

“Once this nightmare is over, I will consider it,” said the Queen, “The Forbidden Regions aren’t called that for nothing. They are home to some of the most dangerous and vicious creatures in the galaxy. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

“Would you go with us? There’s more than enough room for you on the Apollo. Besides, I don’t want to spend another eight months without you. I loved going on all those missions, but it was hell, not having my Queen by my side.”

“It was just as bad without you here, little Swan. I had grown so attached to you that I didn’t know how to function in your absence. You complete me, Emma. You are far more important to me than a crown or a throne, though the only way I can protect you is by staying in power. You are all that I want. All that I need. You are my everything. You rob me of breath, yet your presence heals me all at once. Your pain is my pain. Your tears fall from my eyes. Your sorrow shatters my heart. You are the only human I have ever loved, sweet Emma, and I suspect you will be the only one, for no one is dearer to me than you, my love.”

Emma slowly turned to face the brunette, and her eyes were wet with unshed tears, though a faint smile was gracing her lips.

“Thank you,” she said, genuinely this time, “You’re the only one who’s ever loved me, Regina. You were the first person to give me any real attention. You took care of me. You practically raised me. If it wasn’t for you, I would still be stuck on Earth, leading a shitty life, working some shitty job and living from paycheck to paycheck, but here I am, on the other end of the universe, lying next to the Queen of an entire galaxy and serving in her cavalry as a Starship Captain. It’s incredible. It’s beautiful. I feel so blessed, Regina. You love me despite my flaws. I’m an idiot. A child, really. Hell, I still sleep with a toy water-horse to keep from having nightmares. That, and it’s very sentimental. It’s one of the first gifts you ever gave me.”

“One of them?” asked the Queen.

Emma’s smile widened, though only a little. “The first gift you gave me was freedom from that god-awful planet. The second was your love and respect. Earth is not my home. Neither is Skráv Jangála, nor the Hyperion or the Apollo. You are. You’re my home. You’re my family— and if it’s possible, I think I’d like to have a child someday.”

The Queen’s eyes were wide with awe. “You— You desire a child? With _me?”_

Emma gave a small nod. “I don’t know about me, but I know you would make a wonderful mother.”

The brunette cupped the Captains’ cheek ever so gently, and tears slipped down her cheeks.

“I know you would, as well, Emma. Do not doubt yourself. The fact that you are worried about being a bad mother lets me know that you won’t be. I have often dreamed of having children of my own, but Mother had me sterilized against my will. She wanted to ensure that no one would be able to take the throne from me, even if they were my heir. I am unsure if I am still barren, considering how many times I’ve been resurrected. I have not lain with any man in nearly two-hundred years, though I have no desire to do so. You are the only one I want in my bed.”

Both their eyes slipped shut as the Queen pressed her lips to Emma’s.

\---

Lilith stared at the pink crystal in her hand with sorrow in her serpentine eyes. She held it carefully, as if it was the most fragile thing in the galaxy. She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt tears welling up inside them.

“I’m sorry, Mother,” she whispered, “I’m _so_ sorry.”

Her eyes snapped open when she heard someone clear their throat, startling her, and she looked up to see the holographic face of August staring back at her with obvious concern.

_“What’s going on, Lilith? I thought you said you would be quick. The guards are growing impatient.”_

Lilith frowned. “Sorry,” she said bitterly, “I was just leaving.”

She stormed out before August could say another word, rushing past the two Watchmen with the glowing crystal in her clawed hand. They stared at her, bewildered, before rushing after her.

“Hey, wait! What’s that you’re holding? Is it some sort of weapon?”

Lilith stopped suddenly, spinning around and glaring hatefully at the guards. They, too, froze, blinking at her in confusion and uncertainty.

“No, you idiots,” she hissed, “It’s a homing beacon.”

“A— A homing beacon?”

With a huff, Lilith rushed off to her private quarters in the palace, not waiting up for the guards. She was halfway there when she happened to run into Baelfire. He frowned a bit when he noticed the mood she was in.

“Hey, Lilith,” he said, “You alright?”

“Not particularly, no.”

“Can I ask why?”

The Draconian hesitated, but held up the crystal. “It’s glowing,” she said.

Baelfire’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Meaning?”

Lilith let out a heavy sigh. “Mother is trying to summon me. She hasn’t reached out to me in years. I fear something terrible may have happened. I requested a trip to Drakken’haem, but the Captain said she’d have to take it up with the Queen. I still haven’t gotten an answer.”

Baelfire put a hand on her shoulder. “Do you think she’s just doing it because she misses you? You’re her daughter, Lilith. She needs you, and you need her. Believe me, I’d give anything to see my mother again.”

Lilith turned away so that he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes.

“She can’t possibly miss me. Not after what I did. She must hate me.”

“Based on what you told me, I don’t think that’s the case. If she hated you, then why would she want you to come home? That sounds more like _love_ to me.”

The brunette paused, turning back to the Nuavarian with a sullen expression masking her tearful face.

“How could it be love? I killed her husband. My father. How could she ever love me after something like that?”

“Because she’s your mother, Lilith. Not having you around must be devastating for her. Don’t you think so?”

Lilith stared at the glowing crystal with remorse. “I suppose,” she said quietly, “but it’s been seventeen years since I last saw her. I doubt she’s forgiven me. Perhaps she’s finally decided to seek vengeance. I can’t say I blame her. Regardless, I feel I should accept the invitation. She hasn’t tried summoning me in years. I always just assumed she quit because she thought I was dead, but now? Now I don’t know what to think.”

“Maybe she still has hope,” said Baelfire.

Lilith pulled away from him with a sigh. “I’ve never liked that word.”


	17. Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update (short chapter)

The Queen stared out the window at the city below. She had her hands folded behind her back and her head hung in what looked like shame. Emma was sitting on the bed, watching her with obvious concern.

“Regina?”

The Queen raised her head, but kept her back turned. “I’ve spoken with the Elders,” she said, “They have advised me to evacuate the city.”

Emma pulled on her boots and walked slowly to the window, placing her hands gently onto the brunette’s shoulders.

“And how do you plan on dealing with my evil twin?”

Finally, the Queen turned to face the Captain. “The Elders and I have agreed that the best course of action is to get everyone out of the Capital and plant bombs within the sewer system.”

Emma’s eyes grew wide. “You want to blow it all up? But what about the girl? And that Watchman? What was his name? Loxley? What if they aren’t the only innocent ones down there?”

“I don’t ‘want’ to do this, Emma, but I’m afraid it must be done, for the good of everyone. I understand what you mean— truly, I do— but I cannot risk any more lives. Certainly not those of civilians.”

“Then I’ll go,” said Emma.

The Queen frowned. “No! I forbid it!”

“We’ve got to get that girl back! Her and Loxley! Don’t you think their lives have meaning?”

“Of course they do, Emma! But do you really expect me to put thousands of people in danger, just to save _two?”_

Emma stared at the brunette incredulously. “Are you serious? How do you know there aren’t thousands of innocent people being held captive down there? Are you just going to blow them up, too?”

The Queen sighed. “What would you have me do?” she asked, exasperated. “You know I wouldn’t be considering this if I hadn’t already thought about that. I understand where you’re coming from, Emma, but you must also see things from my point of view. As Queen, I cannot always base my decisions on morality. I must consider things from an objective standpoint. I rarely meet with the Elders, but I felt their input was needed on this matter. We have all come to the conclusion that planting explosives within the tunnels is the best course of action, which is why I must evacuate the city. You and your crew are to travel to Drakken’haem. I have arranged for you to leave, first thing in the morning.”

Emma frowned. “You aren’t coming with us?”

The Queen hesitated. “No.”

_“What? Why not?”_

“As much as I want to, I am still the Queen, and I have to look after my people.”

“Why can’t I stay here? Isn’t that what you wanted? To keep an eye on me?”

“I fear that by keeping you here, I am only endangering you further. I am sorry, Emma, but you need to go with your crew to Drakken’haem. I regret that I will not be able to accompany you, but I ask that you deliver this to Maleficent, the Mistress of Dragons.”

The Queen placed a small, silver disk within the blonde’s hand. “Within this disk is a holographic message, from me to her. You must not look at it, Emma. It is imperative that the only one who views this message is Maleficent. I need you to promise me that neither you, nor anyone else, will see this. Swear to me, Emma.”

She seemed frantic, which Emma found to be unsettling, but the Captain complied anyhow.

“Okay,” Emma said softly, “I promise I won’t let anyone look at it— including me— but I’ve gotta be honest: you’ve got me curious about what it could be.”

They were both left stunned when the Queen pulled Emma into a tight embrace. She never initiated their hugs. It was always the Captain. Had the circumstances been any different, Emma would have found it endearing, but instead, she was overcome with an intense feeling of dread. If the Queen was showing her such affection, then something must have been seriously wrong.

“Emma?” the brunette murmured.

“Yeah?”

The Queen hesitated, sounding as though she was fighting back tears.

_“I love you.”_

The Captain wouldn’t find out until much later, but this was the Queen’s way of saying goodbye, for she feared this would be the last time they saw one another.


	18. Homecoming

Emma was in the Helmsman’s chair, piloting the Apollo with confidence. It was rare that she got the chance to fly the ship now that she was a Captain, but she’d gotten more than enough training in the Royal Starship Academy, so this was a breeze. At least, until she got caught in the middle of an asteroid belt.

“I don’t know if I can get us through this, guys,” she said, “I passed the asteroid simulation in the Academy, but that was just a bunch of holograms.”

 _“I can take over from here, Captain,”_ August offered.

Emma sighed in relief. “Thanks, buddy. You’re a life-saver.”

_“You’re welcome.”_

As August took control of the Apollo, Emma rose from her seat and trudged up the small set of steps.

“I need a nap,” she said, “I didn’t get much sleep last night. Wake me when we get there, will you?”

 _“Of course, Captain,”_ said August.

Emma yawned, oblivious to the worried glances her subordinates were casting her way. They looked to one another in concern when the blonde disappeared into her private quarters.

“She said she didn’t sleep well last night, but it looks like she hasn’t slept in days,” Red noted.

Lilith nodded in agreement. “It also looks like she’s been crying.”

“Do you think the Queen said something to upset her?” asked Red.

“There’s no telling,” replied the Draconian.

 _“I’ll see if I can perform a wellness check,”_ said August.

“She certainly needs it,” said Jefferson, “but that’s going to have to wait. Right now, we need to worry about getting through these asteroids. Activate the artificial gravity. The last thing we need is to be tossed around in here.”

August chuckled. _“Of course.”_

Meanwhile, Emma was dozing off in her quarters, staring blankly at Rocinante as she held him in front of her.

“Where did I go wrong, Ro?” she asked softly, “Does she resent me? Is that why she’s sending me away? She was so adamant that I stay with her in the palace. She made it clear that she didn’t want me going into the Forbidden Regions without her, but then she turns around and tells me to do just that, practically in the same breath. And now she’s gonna blow up the sewers? This doesn’t sit well with me. Especially not this whole thing with the disk. What could possibly be on it that she doesn’t want me to know about? I know I promised her I wouldn’t look, but it gets more tempting the longer I think about it. What do I do? What if this ‘Mistress of Dragons’ tries to kill us? Our planets aren’t allied. She’s got no reason to break bread with any of us. What if she sees it as an invasion? What if Lilith never gets to see her mother? That’s the whole reason we came here!”

She paused when she realized who it was she was talking to. That was when she broke down into tears.

“God, I’m a mess. Look at me, a grown woman, venting to a _doll_. I need help. I— I need Regina. Maybe that’s why I’m talking to you, Ro. You’re the closest thing to her that I’ve got.”

\---

Emma wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep, but when she awoke, she found herself staring up at the flickering face of August. He seemed tense.

 _“We’ve arrived on Drakken’haem, Captain,”_ he told her, _“The locals don’t seem too happy about it. They’re trying to break into the ship.”_

Emma shot up in alarm. “What?!”

She tossed Rocinante on the bed and swiped her gun from the bedside table, rushing out into the corridor and towards the Helm, where she found a horde of Draconian warriors with jagged pikes jabbing at the ship’s exterior. She glared at them in a mix of anger and disbelief.

“What the hell are they doing?!”

“I’ll try and call them off, Captain,” said Lilith, “They’ll listen to me.”

“What? How can you be so sure?”

A faint smirk graced the Technician’s lips. “Just trust me on this. Open the hatch.”

Emma did so reluctantly, watching with sweat dripping down her brow as Lilith stepped confidently out of the ship and towards the angry Draconians. Lilith spoke to them in a harsh, raspy language that the rest of the crew found incomprehensible. Their expressions soon changed from enraged to enraptured, and Lilith stepped back onto the ship with a confident smirk.

“Everything’s going to be alright,” she said, “They said they’ll let us through.”

Emma was in awe. “Just like that?”

Lilith nodded. “Just like that.”

“How’d you manage it?” asked Red.

Lilith glanced over at Baelfire with a knowing smile. “I have my ways.”

The others followed her out of the ship, and the hatch closed once they were all out, sealing shut so that no one would be able to break in. Emma was quick to notice the looks of unease and outright hatred the Draconians were giving her, but she did everything she could to ignore them. She didn’t have to try for very long, however, as their attention was drawn to a tall blonde wearing a dark purple dress with wisps of black here and there. The warriors knelt respectfully as she approached. Emma supposed this was the Mistress of Dragons she’d been told about.

The woman carried herself with great confidence. Her wings were spread wide in a show of dominance. She had serpentine eyes. Emma noticed they were identical to Lilith’s. The Draconian woman stopped dead in her tracks, seeming to realize this as well. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to find her voice.

“Lilith?” she rasped.

Lilith was visibly tense, despite her back facing the rest of the crew. She had her shoulders drawn up and her hands in her pockets.

“Mother,” she said stoically.

The others watched in wonder as Maleficent brought up both her hands to caress Lilith’s face. The blonde was grinning from ear to ear, revealing her fangs. She spoke fluent Galan, rather than Draconian.

“Lilith,” she murmured, “My darling girl. Look at you, all grown up. You’ve finally come home. I was wondering when you would return.”

Lilith frowned in confusion. “You knew I was alive?”

Maleficent laughed. “Of course! Why? Did you think I believed otherwise?”

The brunette said nothing, but that was enough of an answer for her mother. Maleficent’s face fell upon realizing that this was indeed the case. Her smile was replaced by a look of remorse.

“Oh, Lilith. I always knew you were alive,” she said, “though I never did understand why you wouldn’t respond to my summons. I suppose that no longer matters. You’ve finally come back to your people. You’re back where you belong.”

Lilith’s frown deepened. “Wait— you mean you aren’t in any danger?”

Maleficent looked puzzled. “Danger? Why, no. We’re perfectly safe here. Why do you ask?”

“I came back because I thought something was terribly wrong, but now you’re telling me everything’s fine?”

“Something _is_ terribly wrong, my dear. You’ve been gone for seventeen years without so much as a letter, but now that you’ve come back, all is well again.”

Lilith sighed. “I can’t stay here, Mother. Not if you don’t need me.”

Maleficent placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “But we _do_ need you,” she said, “Come. I will explain later. First, we must find rooms for your servants.”

“They’re not _servants_ , Mother. We’re crewmates. This is Captain Swan, Si-Com Jefferson, Baelfire, and Red Lucas. Our Helmsman was an android, but his consciousness was uploaded into the ship.”

“Wait. You mean you aren’t the Captain?”

“No.”

Maleficent’s eyes narrowed as she looked Emma up and down. “You take orders from a— _a human?”_ she asked bitterly.

Lilith bared her fangs, snarling at her mother in warning. “She’s a good leader, and an even greater person,” she hissed, “Don’t you disrespect her like that. I don’t give a damn what she is, and neither should you. Her best friend is Queen Regina.”

This stunned Maleficent. _“Regina_ is friends with a human? Since when?”

“Since her trip to Earth, ma’am,” said Emma, “Fifteen years ago.”

“Interesting,” said Maleficent.

“Which reminds me— I was told to give you this.” Emma held up the silver disk. “The Queen said it was imperative that you see it.”

“What is on it?”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t know. She made me swear that I wouldn’t watch it, or let anyone else see it.”

Maleficent carefully took the disk from Emma’s hand, noticeably doing everything she could to keep from touching the woman. Emma felt anger rise within her, but said nothing. The last thing she needed was to insult the Mistress of Dragons and spark an all-out war between the Draconians and the Galans. She knew the Queen would never forgive her. Lilith shot her an apologetic look before turning back to Maleficent.

“Mother, will you please try and be civil? The Captain's my friend, too. Can you show her at least a _degree_ of respect?”

Maleficent looked like she wanted to protest, but let out a heavy sigh instead. She spoke as if being kind to a human was the worst form of torture. This only pissed Emma off even more, and Maleficent seemed well-aware of this fact. She even appeared to revel in it.

“Very well,” she said, “but only because you asked me to, my darling. For you, I would do anything.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Lilith said dryly.

Maleficent turned and walked back towards the dark fortress, not waiting to see if Lilith or the others would follow. They moved quickly behind her, not wishing to spend too much time in the company of those who despised them. Of the crew, Emma was the most on-edge, though she was doing everything she could not to show it. Once they were inside, Maleficent called upon one of her warriors to escort the crew to the guest quarters, though she insisted that Lilith come with her. The brunette agreed, albeit with great reluctance. Emma watched in disbelief as the two of them walked away.

“I had no idea Lilith was Maleficent’s daughter,” said the Captain, “Does that mean she’s technically a Princess?”

“No,” said Jefferson, “Draconian rulers are determined based on survival. Every century or so, each clan chooses its strongest warrior, and they fight to the death. The last one standing becomes the leader. Lilith is respected because she is the daughter of a champion, but she herself has no real authority.”

“How do you know all this?” asked Emma.

“I was trained in the Royal Vanguard Infantry,” Jefferson replied, “We were taught all about the different systems of power across the galaxy. I’ve always found the Draconian way to be the most interesting.”

“What if there are two people left standing?” asked the Captain.

“Then one must slay the other,” the Vanguard replied casually.

“Damn,” said Baelfire, “That’s pretty savage.”

“I wouldn’t insult them, if I were you,” Jefferson warned, “They tend to be a bit, shall we say, _hostile.”_

Moments later, the group was approached by a Draconian warrior. He had golden, serpentine eyes, light blue skin, and long, white horns. His hair was jet-black, tied back in segments with golden bands. He spoke in broken Galan, but just enough that they could understand him.

“Come,” he grunted, “Go to rooms. Now.”

The group followed him without protest, stepping into their designated rooms. The Draconian ushered Emma to her quarters, clearly holding disdain for her. She struggled to keep her anger in check.

“What’s your problem with me, pal? What have I ever done to you? I don’t even know you! It’s because I’m human, isn’t it?”

“Humans bad,” the warrior grunted, “Humans kill dragons.”

Emma frowned. “What? There aren’t any dragons on Earth.”

The Draconian gave her a pointed look. “All dead because of humans.”

“Wait,” said the Captain, “So you’re saying there really _were_ dragons?”

“Draconians,” said the warrior, “Once ruled Blue Planet. Then humans came. Killed them all with explosion.”

Emma’s eyes widened in horrified realization. “Oh shit. You mean the dinosaurs were actually _Draconians?”_

“Ancestors,” replied the warrior.

The Captain was riddled with overwhelming guilt. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I had no idea.” She looked at him with genuine remorse. “If Draconians were on Earth first, then how did humans get there? Didn’t we evolve? Or were we put there by God? I mean, I’ve never been much of a believer, but I suppose anything’s possible.”

“Enough talk,” said the warrior, “Go. Room. Now.”

“Wait,” said the blonde, “What’s your name? Mine’s Emma Swan.”

The Draconian’s eyes narrowed a bit as he looked her up and down suspiciously. He glanced around as though he had some secret to hide and lowered his voice.

“Kragg,” he told her.

“Well, Kragg, I want you to know that even though you hate me, I don’t hate you.”

Kragg shook his head. “Not hate,” he said, “Pity.”

“Pity? Why?”

The Draconian gazed at her with an unmistakable sadness in his eyes. “Not who you think you are.”

Emma’s brows furrowed in startled confusion. “What? What are you talking about? I’m not who I think I am? What the hell’s that supposed to mean? Kragg? Hey, answer me!”

But the warrior was already walking away. “Said too much,” he told her, sounding almost frantic. “No more.”

Emma watched him from the door, bewildered, but closed it once she saw him round the corner. She locked the door and leaned against it with a heavy sigh. Her mind raced for an explanation. First the mysterious silver disk, then the realization that Lilith was Maleficent’s daughter, and now a cryptic revelation from the guard?

“Things just got even more complicated, didn’t they?” she muttered.


	19. Get the Disk

The Queen, even as a hologram, looked broken.

_“Maleficent, if you are receiving this transmission, then I ask that you keep this to yourself. No one can ever know about this. Especially not Emma. I knew she would be safe if I sent her to Drakken’haem. There are things she does not know about herself. Things that I have only just discovered. It has recently come to my attention that Emma’s DNA is not entirely human. I was unaware of this, as the mutation was nearly-impossible to detect, and has remained dormant all her life. It is imperative that you destroy the disk once this transmission has ended.”_

The brunette hesitated.

_“I have known Emma ever since she was a child. I practically raised her myself. She is very dear to me. All I ask is that you keep her safe. I understand your distaste for humanity. I share your mistrust, with the exception of the good Captain. She is not like other humans, and I do mean that literally. She possesses an extremely-rare gene, one I thought to be a myth. Emma has never known her birth parents. She was an orphan when we first met. Of course, I took responsibility for her, because there was just something that drew me to her. Up until now, I never understood what that ‘something’ was, but now I know the truth. Emma isn’t human. At least, not entirely.”_

Another pause, followed by a sigh.

_“She’s an Astrellan.”_

\---

Emma was in the mead hall with Baelfire, in the midst of a drink-off. She had drunken nearly three times her weight in honey mead. Baelfire and the Draconian warriors watched in awe as the Captain chugged the sweet mead from her drinking horn.

“How are you doing that?” asked Baelfire, “I’m hooked on the grog, but even _I’ve_ never seen anyone drink so much at once!”

Emma wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Years of practice,” she said, “and I’ve always been good at holding my liquor. I’m like a star!” She held up the horn with a grin. “Another round!”

Lilith appeared before Emma had the chance to start drinking again. The brunette was never exactly cheerful, but now she looked outright furious.

“You alright?” asked Baelfire.

“Not particularly,” Lilith grumbled.

Emma frowned in concern. “You wanna talk about it?”

Lilith looked around quickly. “Not here,” she uttered, “Let’s go to my old room.”

Emma and Baelfire followed her up a long set of steps, leading up to an iron door at the top of the staircase. It was adorned with a multitude of padlocks, spikes, and chains.

“Damn, Lilith,” said Baelfire, “You sure this isn’t the dungeon?”

Lilith rolled her eyes. “Like I said before, I was kind of a monster,” she said as she worked to unlock the door.

“What’d you do, burn down the fortress?”

“Almost,” the brunette replied nonchalantly, “Three different times. I once caught Mother’s dress on fire when I sneezed. She wasn’t angry, though. She was proud. That was the first time I showed any signs of possessing dragon powers.”

“But isn’t that normal?” asked Emma.

“Not with halflings,” Lilith explained, “My father was an Odarri.”

“So you’re not entirely Draconian, then?”

“Right.”

“Can you turn into a dragon?”

Lilith hesitated. “Yes,” she said quietly, “but I haven’t since I left this godforsaken place.”

Emma and Baelfire exchanged a worried glance.

“Do you want to go back to the Capital?” asked Emma.

“No,” said Lilith, “Not right now, anyway. Besides, the Queen was pretty clear about us staying here for a while.”

At last, she was able to unlock the iron door and pushed it open with minimal effort, despite it weighing a ton. She gestured for her companions to enter, and so they did. What she found left her stunned. The room was dark, covered from floor to ceiling in dust and cobwebs. There was no telling what might have been crawling around in there.

“Mother told me it was exactly the way I left it. Looks like she wasn’t joking. The least she could have done was spruce the place up a bit. No matter. I’ll worry about that later. I need to vent, and I couldn’t find Red or Jefferson, so you two are just going to have to deal with it.”

She yanked the dusty curtains apart, flooding the room with blinding sunlight, which made the white crystals on the ceiling shimmer and shine beautifully. Even she had to admit, it was truly breathtaking, but she had no time to dwell on the décor. She turned to face her bewildered friends with an unreadable expression.

“Mother wants me to fight in the Games.”

Emma and Baelfire were both visibly confused. _“The Games?”_ they asked in unison.

Lilith sighed. “Every century, all the clans of Drakken’haem pit their strongest warriors against each other. Whoever survives becomes Sovereign. I tried telling Mother I don’t want to take part, but she wouldn’t listen to me. She insisted it was tradition, but I don’t feel like dying anytime soon, and that’s got to be the quickest way to do it.”

“So your own mother wants you to risk your life? For something you don’t even care about?”

“Pretty much,” Lilith said, clearly dejected.

Emma gave her a look of sympathy. “I’m sorry,” she said genuinely, “If there’s anything I can do, just tell me.”

“What _could_ you do, Swan?” asked the brunette, “My Mother is the Sovereign. Her word is absolute. She didn’t ask me to do this. I wasn’t her daughter when she brought it up. I was just another one of her subjects. She ordered me to take part, and not a single one of us can do a damn thing about it.”

“Well, we could just pack up and leave,” said Baelfire.

“No,” Lilith said quickly, “That would only piss my mother off, and trust me, you do not want that. Besides, we can’t go back to the Capital. The Queen explicitly stated that we aren’t to return until she sends for us. There’s some lunatic running around who looks exactly like the Captain. The last thing we need is for you to get mistaken for that psycho-bitch. Speaking of which, is she really a clone? How is that even possible?”

“It was that bastard, Whale. You know, the cyborg from 108? I don’t know how he did it, exactly, but he used my old hand to clone that— that _thing._ To be honest, it terrifies me, knowing that I was unconscious around that creep while he operated on me. God only knows what else he might have done.”

Emma squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, attempting to drive the sickening thoughts from her troubled mind.

“You alright, Captain?” asked Lilith.

“Not really,” Emma told her, “I don’t know how long we’re gonna be here, but I doubt I’ll be able to handle it. You know, being away from the Queen for so long. Those eight months away from the Capital were hard on me. I don’t think I can do it again.”

Lilith placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, stunning her. “Don’t worry. We’re here for you,” said the brunette, “I just have one question.”

“Ask away.”

“Do you love her, Captain?”

“Huh?”

“The Queen,” Lilith clarified, “Do you love her?”

Emma gave a firm nod. “More than anything.”

“Even yourself?”

The Captain hesitated and turned her attention to the ground, unable to meet the brunette’s gaze any longer.

“I’ve never really loved myself,” she said quietly.

“And why is that?”

“I mean, my own parents didn’t even want me,” said Emma, “So if they didn’t love me, then why should anyone else? Why should I?”

“The Queen loves you, doesn’t she?”

Again, the Captain nodded.

“Then maybe it’s time you start loving yourself, too.”

Emma looked up at the brunette with a mix of hope and confusion. “Why are you giving me this pep-talk? Shouldn’t we be focusing on your situation? I mean, your mother wants you to _kill_ people.”

Lilith shook her head. “I think we’ve got better things to worry about,” she said, “For starters: just what exactly is on that disk? And why wouldn’t the Queen want anyone to know about it?”

“I— I don’t know,” said Emma, “but I swore I wouldn’t look at it.”

“Don’t you want to, though?” asked the brunette.

“Of course I do! But I’m not about to break my promise. Not to her.”

“Come on, Captain,” said Baelfire, “It’s not like she’ll find out. What could it hurt? If she was so adamant about you not looking at it, then why would she ask you to deliver it?”

Emma hesitated. “Because she— she _trusts_ me. I’m her friend. I won’t betray her like that.”

“How do you know she isn’t betraying you?” asked Lilith, “How do you know whatever’s on that disk doesn’t incriminate you somehow?”

Emma shook her head. “Why would she want to incriminate me? I haven’t done anything wrong! She knows I’m innocent! There’s no way she would do that to me!”

“There’s only one way to find out,” said Lilith.

“No, I— I won’t do it! Why are you two so adamant about this?”

“Because, Captain, we all know you want the truth.”

Emma sighed, exasperated. “What do I have to do to get you to quit pestering me with this?”

Lilith and Baelfire smirked. _“Get the disk,”_ they said in unison.


	20. Stardust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update.

Lilith knocked on the door. “Mother?”

There was a long span of silence. She went to knock a second time, but the door suddenly swung open before she had the chance. She blinked, bewildered, when she saw Maleficent staring back at her with wide— almost frantic— eyes.

“Yes?” the blonde asked quickly.

Lilith shifted awkwardly. “Um, I just came to tell you that there’s a fight in the mead hall. The guards challenged the Captain to a drinking competition and she won, but they didn’t like that and started throwing punches.”

Maleficent groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Gods,” she muttered, “Wait here. I will take care of things.”

She started to rush off, but paused when Lilith called after her.

“Mother?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t be too hard on them. The Captain or the guards. Please?”

Maleficent sighed and gave a tight smile. “Very well.”

And with that, she turned and stormed towards the mead hall.

Upon seeing her mother round the corner, Lilith let out a sigh of relief, and after checking to see if the coast was clear, she made her way into the room as quickly and as quietly as she could. She pulled a silver button from her pocket when she spotted the disk resting in the center of the table and swiped it. She then replaced the disk with the button, which had long-since come loose from her jacket. Sneaking back out into the corridor, she slipped the disk into her pocket and shut the door. She leaned casually against the wall and waited for her mother to return.

Maleficent was back in seemingly no time at all. She was clearly annoyed, but forced a smile when she saw Lilith standing by the door.

“It seems they scattered by the time I arrived,” she said, “but thank you for telling me, Lilith.” She placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I’m glad to know that I can trust you.”

Now it was Lilith who forced a smile. She was certain it had to look as unnatural as it felt, but if Maleficent realized this, she didn’t seem to think it was significant enough to comment on.

“Thanks, Mother.”

“You’re welcome, my dear,” Maleficent beamed, “Now, why don’t you go and train? The Games begin at the end of the month.”

Lilith hesitated. “Of course,” she said bitterly. Maleficent sighed, lifting her daughter’s chin gently. “Lilith, I understand your concern, but you must also realize just how important this is, not only to our people, but to _me._ We all want to see you come out on top. I— _we—_ have faith in you. We have h—”

“Don’t say it, Mother,” said Lilith, _“Please.”_

Maleficent pulled her hand away and gave a curt nod. “Apologies,” she said, seemingly hurt by this, “I meant not to offend, though if I may, would you be so kind as to tell me what it is I’ve done to upset you?”

“Well, aside from the whole _forcing me to fight_ thing, you almost used the H-word.”

Maleficent frowned in confusion. “Are you really so opposed to the Games? And why have you grown to loathe a word? It is but a sound, Lilith. A symbol— and a great one, at that. A noble one.”

“It isn’t so great when you’ve gone seventeen years without it,” Lilith muttered.

“Why, Lilith? Why have you given it up?”

“Because all this time, I thought there was no chance of you ever forgiving me for what I did. I thought I would never see you again. I thought you wouldn’t want to see me. I did something terrible, and I thought that doing it would help ease your pain, but then I realized that I was the cause of it.” Lilith met her mother’s gaze with a look of anguish. “I’ve thought an awful lot about cutting off my wings, Mother. I don’t deserve to call myself a Draconian. I’m a mon—”

Maleficent gasped. “No!” She pulled Lilith into a tight embrace. Tears streaked her cheeks. “Don’t you ever say that, Lilith. That is the one word you must never utter. Not about yourself. You are many things, my child, but _that_ is not one of them. I love you, Lilith— more than anything— and I want you to know that I do forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago.”

For the first time in seventeen years, Lilith allowed herself to cry. “So you— you don’t hate me?”

“Oh, Lilith, no,” murmured Maleficent, “I could never hate you. You are my daughter. You are dearer to me than life itself. I must confess, it took some time to forgive you. I loved your father, but I loved you far more. Galdr tried to take you away from me, and me from you. That is what I find truly unforgivable. You did the right thing. I see that now, and I have for some time.”

“Then why are you forcing me to take part in the Games? I’m not a pureblood. They’ll destroy me, Mother. Is that what you want?”

Maleficent cupped Lilith’s face with both hands. “It matters not what you are,” she said, “What matters is whether or not you can fight. I know you, Lilith. You possess incredible strength and bravery. You will be victorious. I can feel it.”

Lilith sighed. “Who will I be fighting? Is there a list?”

“Not everyone has named their contenders,” said Maleficent, “but I know the Fafnir clan has chosen Bemkict, and the Naga clan has decided on Khigforn.”

“Anyone else? What about the Galeru clan?”

Maleficent hesitated.

“Mother?”

“…They have named Akurra.”

Lilith’s eyes widened. “What?! Why didn’t you tell me?! I’m not going to kill her! She’s my friend!”

“She _was,”_ said Maleficent, “but believe me when I tell you that she no longer sees it that way.”

“Excuse me?” Lilith snapped, “Akurra and I are best friends! We always have been!”

“No, Lilith. You _were,”_ Maleficent told her, “While I have forgiven you, Akurra most certainly has not.”

“What?”

“Akurra is not the person you remember,” said Maleficent, “She has become incredibly vicious in your absence. She is very nearly rogue. If there is anyone you must defeat, it is her. Just know that she is unpredictable. I would even say she is as much a savage as our ancestors. She shows little restraint in combat, if any. She will try to kill you, and if she doesn’t, she won’t stop until she's succeeded. This is why you must defeat her, Lilith. If she becomes Sovereign, then all is lost. This is why I chose to summon you again.”

“Why did you stop summoning me for all those years if you knew I was still alive?”

“Because I assumed you needed space,” said Maleficent, “but I am glad you finally came home. I have missed you, my child. All of us have.”

“Except for Akurra,” Lilith said bitterly.

“Sadly, yes. I am sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I know how close you two used to be. I also know that if there is anyone who can defeat her, it is you, my darling.”

\---

Emma was pacing the room frantically while Baelfire watched her with mild amusement from his place on Lilith’s old bed.

“If you don’t stop, you’ll wear a hole in the floor,” he told her.

Emma tuned him out. “Where is she?” she asked, “She should’ve been here by now! Do you think she got caught?”

“Maybe she and her mother are having a little heart-to-heart.”

“But what if she got caught?” Emma asked again.

“Captain, relax,” said Baelfire, “This is Lilith we’re talking about. I’m sure everything’s fine.”

Emma stopped pacing and started to say something, but the door swung open before she had the chance. There stood Lilith, holding up the small disk. She looked beyond stressed, but was clearly doing her best not to show it.

“What took you so long? Did you have trouble finding it?” asked Emma, “Did the plan not work?”

“Oh, it worked,” said Lilith, “but Mother and I were just having a little heart-to-heart.”

Baelfire smirked. “Told ya.”

Emma glared daggers at him. “Hush.” She turned back to Lilith with a gleam of hope in her eyes. “So, let’s see what’s on this bad-boy. You’ve got me intrigued. I guess there’s no going back now. Not after you went through all that trouble. Thanks for that, by the way.”

Lilith gave a faint smile. “No problem. We all know that if you had done it, Mother would have roasted you on the spot.”

Emma shuddered. “Yeah, well, let’s just have a look at that disk, alright?”

“Sure thing, Captain.”

Lilith closed the door and locked it securely before placing the disk on the table. She pushed down on the small button in the center, and the holographic image of the Queen appeared before the trio, looking beyond miserable.

_“Maleficent, if you are receiving this transmission, then I ask that you keep this to yourself. No one can ever know about this. Especially not Emma. I knew she would be safe if I sent her to Drakken’haem. There are things she does not know about herself. Things that I have only just discovered. It has recently come to my attention that Emma’s DNA is not entirely human. I was unaware of this, as the mutation was nearly-impossible to detect, and has remained dormant all her life. It is imperative that you destroy the disk once this transmission has ended.”_

The three of them were stunned, especially Emma.

_“I have known Emma ever since she was a child. I practically raised her myself. She is very dear to me. All I ask is that you keep her safe. I understand your distaste for humanity. I share your mistrust, with the exception of the good Captain. She is not like other humans, and I do mean that literally. She possesses an extremely-rare gene, one I thought to be a myth. Emma has never known her birth parents. She was an orphan when we first met. Of course, I took responsibility for her, because there was just something that drew me to her. Up until now, I never understood what that ‘something’ was, but now I know the truth. Emma isn’t human. At least, not entirely.”_

Another pause, followed by a sigh. Emma couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How was she not human? Was this what Kragg had meant? How would he have known such a thing? Why hadn’t anyone else thought to mention this before?

 _“She’s an Astrellan,”_ said the Queen, _“This explains everything, Maleficent. The reason she doesn’t have parents. The reason for her fascination with space. The reason she was drawn to my starship all those years ago. Astrellans do not have parents. They are living stars, and like any living thing, they eventually die, though they typically live for millions of years. Sometimes even billions. On occasion— although it is extremely rare— dying Astrellans will fall to the planet nearest to them and their energy will be concentrated into the closest life-form. Most of the time, they take on plants or animals as their hosts, but there are exceptions, and it seems the Captain was one of them. Sometimes, if powerful enough, Astrellans will create bodies of their own. I suspect this was the case with Emma, though I cannot be certain.”_

Emma suddenly felt as though she couldn’t breathe. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t possibly be happening!

_“I know Draconians are very protective of Astrellans, considering the raw energy contained within their tears. This is why I had to send her to Drakken’haem. I knew that if anyone could protect her better than I, it would be you, old friend. I realize that we don’t exactly see eye-to-eye these days, but I want you to know that I am truly sorry for what happened between us, and I pray that you can find it within yourself to forgive me. I still think of you as family. You and Emma are the only family I have left. All I ask is that you keep her safe. If the wrong people discover what she truly is, they will come for her, and that can never happen. So please, Mal, protect her.”_

Tears were streaking Emma’s face.

_“You cannot let Emma leave Drakken’haem. Certainly not now. By the time you receive this message, I will likely have detonated the explosives in the Underground here in the Capital. I plan to blow up the sewer system to eradicate the Grawlers, along with Emma’s murderous clone. If Emma is an Astrellan, then that means her clone must be, as well. That cannot be good. I intend to leave the planet with the rest of my people. If the clone is also an Astrellan, then once those explosives go off, her body will implode and cause a supernova, destroying the entire planet. I told Emma I was evacuating the city. She has no idea that the whole planet is being relocated. My people will be sent to various asylums across Misthaven, but I will take the Hyperion to an undisclosed location. I cannot say where, exactly. I know I can never set foot on Drakken’haem— not after what I did— which is why I sent Emma away without me. Should she ever see this, for any reason, then she must know that I love her more than I can possibly say, and that I am sorry for any pain I might have caused her. May she lead a long and happy life, even if it is without me.”_

The hologram flickered, only for a moment, and then it vanished altogether. Lilith and Baelfire watched Emma apprehensively. She wasn’t moving. She wasn’t speaking. She was just standing there in complete, unnerving silence.

“Captain?” Lilith asked reluctantly, “Are you alright?”

Emma collapsed onto the floor.


	21. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!

When Emma came to, she was lying on a small bed, stark naked, with a purple, glowing paste of some sort smeared all over her body. She frowned in confusion, as she was feeling disoriented. She felt as though she was spinning, despite it not appearing that way. She went to sit up, but gasped when a clawed hand met her shoulder and forced her back down.

“Be still,” said a familiar voice.

Emma turned her head to find herself staring up at none other than Kragg. Her eyes widened when all her memories came flooding back into her mind.

“Kragg?” she asked softly.

“Hm?” the warrior grunted.

“How did you know I wasn’t human?”

“Tears in your eyes,” said Kragg, “Look like crystal tears.”

“Crystal tears?”

“Stars die. Turn into crystal. Crystals have power. Magic.”

“How can I have been a star? That doesn’t make any sense! I’m human! I—”

“No. _Astrellan._ Astrellan is living star,” said Kragg, “Worshipped as god.”

“Wait, so you think stars are gods?”

Kragg nodded. “Big. Beautiful. Sacred.”

“So you think I’m some kind of deity?”

Again, Kragg nodded. “Heal you with magic paste.”

“Oh? And what exactly is in this ‘magic paste?’ Also, why am I naked? Is that _really_ necessary?”

“Must cover body,” said Kragg, “Paste made of healing water and crystal tears, ground into powder. Keeps you strong.”

“Huh? I didn’t realize I needed to be kept strong,” said Emma.

“Asleep for weeks,” Kragg told her, “Paste has nutrients. Helps you eat. Drink. Stay clean. Stay strong.”

“Weeks?! Jesus! Where’s Lilith? Have the Games started yet? What happened while I was out?”

“Be still,” Kragg said again, this time more firmly. “Games start in morning. Lilith training. Sovereign angry.”

“Oh God,” said Emma, “She found out about the disk, didn’t she?”

Kragg grunted in confirmation. “Destroyed disk. Imprisoned crew.”

“WHAT?!” Emma jumped up before Kragg could stop her. “I’m getting them out of there! I don’t give a damn what happens to me, but they don’t deserve this! Why are they in prison, but not me?”

“Astrellans sacred,” said Kragg, “Must be respected.”

“Well, if that’s true, then _respect_ _me_ by respecting my friends! Let them out!”

“Cannot. Only Sovereign has key.”

Emma slammed her fist into the wall in a rage, only to regret it instantly. “Damn it!” she cried, clutching her bloody knuckles. “Fuck! Why did I have to use my left hand?!”

The pain was only temporary, however. Emma watched in awe as her wounds— though minimal— sealed themselves shut.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, “That’s incredible!” She turned to look at the Draconian. “So, how do I get this stuff off? Is there a shower around here?”

Kragg threw her a tattered cloth. “Here,” he said with a grunt, “Clean.”

Emma looked at him incredulously. _“Seriously?”_

Kragg just huffed and turned away, going back to whatever he was doing at the table nearby.

The Captain frowned. “What happened to stars being sacred?” she muttered, “Gotta fucking wipe myself down with this disgusting rag. Jesus Christ.”

She paused when she saw the pointed look Kragg was giving her. She narrowed her eyes at him and quickly worked to wipe away the glowing paste. It didn’t take nearly as long as she’d expected, but it was still time wasted. She then pulled on her clothes as quickly as she could and put her gun back in its holster, genuinely amazed that she’d been allowed to keep it.

“Alright, now where’s this prison?” she asked, “I need to get my crew out of there, and fast. They don’t deserve that. Hell, Red and Jefferson didn’t even do anything! Neither did Baelfire! I mean, Lilith was the one who stole the damn thing! Why isn’t she in prison?”

“Her mother is Sovereign,” said Kragg, “She go free.”

“But _she_ stole the disk! No one else did!”

“No matter. Go. Get friends.”

Emma blinked in surprise. “You want me to bust them out of jail?”

“No. Must speak to Sovereign. She has key.”

“There’s really only _one?”_

Kragg just nodded.

“Well then,” said Emma, “That’s quite the predicament. So Maleficent didn’t imprison me because apparently I’m a fucking _star,_ but will she let my crew go? If I’m some sort of god to you, does that mean she’ll listen to me?”

“Do not know,” said Kragg, “Go now, Emma Swan. Find Lilith in arena. She will help.”

“Thanks, Kragg,” said Emma, “I owe you one, big-time.”

“No,” replied the warrior, “You owe nothing. You go now.”

Emma didn’t hesitate to take his advice. She fled the small, dark room quickly, and had to shield her eyes from the powerful rays of the sun once she did. As she considered her newfound status as a living star, she lowered her hand and regarded the blazing sun with a look of admiration and wonder.

“Are you alive, too, big guy?” she whispered.

_“Swan!”_

Emma blinked in surprise and looked up to find Lilith marching towards her in Draconian battle armor. The brunette looked beyond stressed, but also relieved. For the first time, Emma found herself being pulled into an almost bone-crushing embrace by the Technician.

“I thought you’d never wake up. It’s good to have you back.”

“What happened? Kragg said the others were in prison. Is it true? Why are they being punished for something they didn’t do?”

Lilith pulled back with a sigh. “Sorry, Captain. I’ve done everything I can to get Mother to release them, but she won’t budge. Once she makes up her mind, it’s set in stone. Trust me. At least she’s allowing me to bring them food— and I mean _real food—_ each day.”

“What about me? Shouldn’t I be in there with them? Kragg just told me I was practically a god, which is apparently the only reason I’m not behind bars. I didn’t think it was possible, Lilith. I didn’t think stars were living beings. I certainly didn’t think _I_ was one of them. Isn’t there anything I can do to get the guys out of jail?”

“I don’t know about you,” said Lilith, “but I think I might just be able to.”

“How? Can you melt bars with your fire-breath?”

Lilith chuckled. “Afraid not,” she said, “but I can get them out, so long as I win the Games. If I survive, I will become the Sovereign. Then and only then will my word become law. I need to win, Captain. Not just to save the crew, but to protect my people. Mother is a respected Sovereign, and a good leader, but I will be far greater.”

“I thought you didn’t want any part of this?” asked Emma, “What’s changed?”

“You’ve been out for almost a month, Captain. I’d say just about _everything’s_ changed.”

“I heard the Games start in the morning. You think you’re ready?”

Lilith hesitated. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She tossed Emma a wooden sword. “Spar with me, Captain. You’re looking a bit scrawny. You need to get back some muscle.”

Emma smiled. “Go easy on me, will you? Like you said, I’ve been asleep for a month.”

“Did you dream?” asked Lilith.

“Oh yeah,” Emma told her, “but it didn’t feel like a dream. It felt more like a memory.”

“Care to share?”

Emma shook her head. “It’s all a little fuzzy now,” she said, “I mostly just remember feeling alone and afraid in the darkness.”

“You think you’re remembering the time when you were a star?”

“There’s no telling,” said Emma, “I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around all this. Why would Regina want to keep it from me?”

“You really are close, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

“You called her Regina,” said Lilith, “Seems like you’re a lot closer than you let on.”

“Well, yeah,” said the Captain, “She’s the only family I’ve ever had.”

“Aren’t we your family, too?” asked the brunette.

“I,” Emma hesitated, “I suppose so. It’s just that I’ve been with Regina longer than anyone. She was right. She pretty much raised me. She gave me everything, Lilith. An education. She taught me her beautiful language. She gave me place in her cavalry. She gave me my own starship. A home. A family. She gave me her trust and her respect, and best of all, she gave me her _love.”_

Lilith gave her a knowing look. “Have you slept with her, Captain?”

Emma smiled softly. “Yes,” she murmured, “Many times.”

“I suspected as much. Let me guess: you were having sex when your clone killed that guard, weren’t you?”

The Captain shifted uncomfortably. “Yep.”

“Be honest with me, Swan,” said Lilith, “How good is she?”

Emma’s face reddened. “I— she— that’s none of your concern,” she stuttered.

Lilith let out a quiet chuckle. “Fair enough,” she said, “Just thought I’d ask. Come on. Let’s train.”

“What about the others?”

“Don’t worry. Once I win, I’ll set them free.”

“Don’t get too cocky. Confidence is key, but too much of it will be your downfall.”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Lilith, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Thanks, Captain.”

“It’s no problem. Oh, and Lilith?”

“Hm?”

“Just call me Emma.”

Lilith’s lips curled into a genuine smile. “Sure thing,” she said, _“Emma.”_


	22. The Games

Lilith clashed blades with Bemkict of the Fafnir clan. He was a particularly-large warrior, even for Draconian standards. Fortunately, he wasn’t as bright as he was big. He used brawns over brains, which would soon prove to be his downfall. He raised his colossal axe over his head, intending to bring it down upon her, but before he had the chance, Lilith drove both her blades into the man’s kneecaps and left him roaring in agony as she severed each of his misshapen legs at the knees.

Bemkict toppled backwards, landing gracelessly on his wings. He stared up at Lilith in a mix of hatred and horror, fully-aware that he was done for. The brunette stood over him with spite in her eyes. Then, without so much as a word, she stabbed both her swords into his armored chest. He hissed one last time, but swiftly succumbed to his wounds.

As the crowd roared, both in praise and in rage, Lilith ripped her bloody swords from the man’s chest and turned to look up at her mother, who was watching her from the dais alongside the other clan leaders.

Maleficent was smiling, clearly pleased with her daughter’s victory. The man to her left, however, obviously did not share her feelings. He was an older man with gray skin and long, silver hair. His eyes were a piercing shade of green, both burning with intense hatred. Maleficent took note of this immediately and frowned.

“Do not be so bitter, Hrothgar,” she told him, “It is an honor to die in the arena.”

“That may be so,” he hissed, “but to _live_ is an even greater honor.”

“Whether or not we live is determined by the Gods,” said Maleficent, “It was their will that my daughter defeated your son in battle.”

The old man was silent, but his potent anger was flowing off of him in waves. He stared out into the arena with contempt and misery as his son’s mutilated corpse was dragged through the sand and tossed gracelessly into the growing heap of bodies. There were now eight corpses in total.

Lilith panted heavily, facing the archway where her next opponent would emerge at any moment. As she waited, she thought back to the encounter she’d had with Akurra several weeks back.

_She had been training in the arena under the light of the full moon, slashing at the wooden mannequins with her short blade and jabbing with the long blade. She was just about to strike again when she sensed an all-too familiar presence and spun around, aiming her sword at the cloaked figure sneaking up behind her._

_“Akurra,” she said, visibly apprehensive, “What are you doing here?”_

_The Draconian woman pulled back her hood, revealing pale blue skin and a blood-red mane. Her yellow eyes gleamed brightly in the moonlight. She was smiling faintly, though she looked equal-parts remorseful and relieved._

_“Apologies,” she said softly, “I needed to see you, old friend. When I heard you had returned, I came as quickly as I could.”_

_Lilith gripped her sword tighter and her eyes narrowed. “I was told you no longer consider us friends,” she said, “Have you come here to kill me? I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until the Games.”_

_Akurra sighed. “I confess, I was angry that you left without saying anything,” she said, “but now that you’ve returned, I feel that no longer matters. I’ve missed you, Lilith. I don’t want to kill you, but if we’re both taking part in the Games, then I suppose it’s inevitable. That is, unless you kill me first. I just came to see you, Lilith, and to tell you that there are no hard feelings between us. At least, not on my end.”_

_“So you don’t see me as your enemy?”_

_“No,” Akurra breathed._

_Lilith felt her heartbeat quicken. She could smell the pheromones wafting in the air. She frowned, both in concern and confusion. She faltered a bit, lowering her sword but gripping it tightly._

_“Are— Are you in heat?” she murmured._

_“It would seem so,” said Akurra._

_“And you’re still fighting in the Games?”_

_Akurra nodded. “Of course.”_

_“What about choosing a mate? Won’t that distract you?”_

_“No. While we’re on the subject, I suppose I should be honest,” said Akurra, “That’s another reason I came here.”_

_Lilith’s eyes widened. “Akurra, no. We agreed we wouldn’t do that anymore.”_

_“Please, Lilith. You’re the only one I want. It’s been so long. Please. Just this once.”_

_Lilith’s frown deepened and she squeezed her eyes shut. “No,” she hissed, “No, I won’t do it.”_

_She felt desire pool between her thighs, making her groan uncontrollably. She cursed herself internally. She gasped when she felt Akurra’s clawed hand cup her cheek. Her eyes flew open and she found herself meeting the lustful gaze of her childhood friend._

_“We shouldn’t do this, Akurra,” she whispered._

_“But don’t you_ want _to? Don’t lie to me, Lilith. I can tell you’re aroused.”_

_Lilith stepped back, but Akurra stepped forward. She took another step back, and again, Akurra took a step forward. It continued like this until she found herself backed up against the wall, unable to move as Akurra’s hands pressed themselves against the wall on either side of her head, effectively trapping her. Their faces were just inches apart. She could feel her friend’s unsteady breath ghosting against her lips._

_“Lilith, please,” rasped Akurra, “Mate with me.”_

_“Don’t do this,” Lilith hissed, “Don’t manipulate me. I know what you’re doing, Akurra. You’re just trying to mate with me so I won’t want to fight you in the arena. It’s not going to work. If what Mother says is true, then you’ll stab me in the back the second I let my guard down. I’m many things, Akurra, but an idiot isn’t one of them. Some friend you are, trying to use me like that. Get out of here, you bitch!”_

_Akurra bared her fangs in primal rage. “Your mother’s lying to you!” she snapped, “I don’t want to hurt you, and I’m not manipulating you!”_

_“Then why mate with me?”_

_“Because I love you, Lilith! I always have! You’ve been gone for seventeen years, and all that time, I felt lost. I felt alone. You are the only one for me. You’re all that I want. All that I need. Don’t you see? We were meant to be together, you and I! Forever! You swore we would always be friends! Isn’t that what_ this _means?”_

_Akurra pulled back her sleeve, revealing the black star tattooed on her left wrist. Seeing it made Lilith feel queasy._

_“Gods,” rasped Lilith, “I still can’t believe you actually did that. I wish you hadn’t.”_

_Akurra frowned. “Why not?”_

_“Because we were just_ kids! _We didn’t know things would play out the way they did.”_

_Akurra grabbed Lilith’s arm, stunning her. “Look! Look at your wrist, Lilith! You’re the one who drew a star on my arm! You said you wanted us to be the same!”_

_“But we’re_ not _the same!” Lilith shouted, jerking her arm away. “I drew a star on you. Sure. But that doesn’t mean I wanted you to get it tattooed! Get out of here! I need to keep training!”_

_“We both know you want me,” Akurra said darkly, “Too bad I’ll have to kill you, Lilith. If I didn’t, I’d take you as my slave, and you’d have no choice but to be my mate!”_

_Lilith stared at her incredulously. “You’re insane, Akurra!”_

_“And you’re blind if you can’t see what’s really going on!” Akurra argued._

_“What are you talking about?”_

_Instead of responding, Akurra slammed her lips against Lilith’s, causing the brunette to gasp and shove her away roughly. Lilith kicked her to the ground and held both blades against her throat in warning, glaring hatefully at her._

_“Don’t you_ ever _do that again.”_

_“Or what? You’ll kill me?”_

_“You’re goddamn right, bitch.”_

_“You’ll get your chance in the arena,” said Akurra, “but you won’t win.”_

_“We’ll see about that,” Lilith countered, “Now get lost. If I catch you snooping around here before the Games, I won’t hesitate to end you.”_

_“Pity,” said Akurra, “And to think I came all this way, just to see you.”_

_“We both know you came for more than that, you skank.”_

_Akurra glared up at Lilith. “I have to commend you, Lilith, for your willpower. You and I both know you’d love to have my tongue inside you again. You’re just too stubborn to admit it. You’re no different than your mother.”_

_There was a flash of silver, and Akurra gasped as she felt a stinging pain in her left cheek. She could feel a warm trickle of blood sliding down her face. She stared up at Lilith in genuine surprise._

_“You cut me,” she murmured, “Why not just finish the job?”_

_“Oh, believe me, I will,” said Lilith, “but not until the Games.”_

And now, Lilith, standing in the center of the arena with the blood of her enemies painting her armor and flesh, felt her heart racing at the prospect of having to face Akurra again. She fully-expected the woman to come barreling towards her from within the dark tunnel.

Instead, it was Khigforn, the strong yet stout warrior of the Naga clan. His orange flesh was decorated with jagged streaks of blue war-paint, vaguely resembling lightning. In his hands was a colossal hammer caked with dried blood, undoubtedly belonging to those who displeased him, and from what Lilith had heard about him, it didn’t take much to invoke his wrath.

He looked to the pile of bodies and his eyes widened in horror when he spotted Bemkict among them. It was then that Lilith remembered the two had been close friends. The second she locked eyes with him, Khigforn charged towards her with a powerful battle-cry, swinging wildly at her with his hammer. Just like with Bemkict, she used Khigforn’s blind rage against him, tucking and rolling between his legs. She emerged on the other side just as he brought down his hammer, puzzling him.

Still squatting, Lilith slashed at the back of his leg with her short sword and jabbed him with the long sword. He roared in pain, nearly falling, but managed to hold himself up using his giant hammer. He turned and snarled viciously at her.

“You’ll pay for that, you bitch!” he seethed.

Orange mist began to rise up from the ground at his feet. Lilith knew what was coming, and that she had to stop it, so with one swift blow, she drove her long blade through his stomach and twisted it. She threw down her short sword and grabbed the handle with both hands, slicing through his abdomen and cutting him almost entirely in half. He wailed in excruciating agony as his guts spilled out onto the hot sand, collapsing onto his back just as his friend had. He stared up at Lilith with genuine fear in his eyes and started to beg for mercy, but was cut off abruptly as she drove her bloody blade through his cranium.

Lilith pulled her sword from his skull and retrieved the other one swiftly, watching with an unreadable expression as the guards near the archway went to retrieve his body, along with his entrails, and tossed him into the pile like a bloody ragdoll. Lilith eyed his hammer curiously, noticing the ancient runes etched into the side.

‘Zovida,’ they read. _Suffer._

Lilith turned when she heard something heavy striking against the walls within the dark tunnel. She watched and listened with increasing apprehension as whoever was approaching grew closer. As they did, the sound grew louder and more frequent.

Just as Lilith feared, Akurra stepped out from the shadows, donning black armor an enormous blade which she was striking repeatedly against the stone wall. She had her fangs bared hatefully and her wings spread in a show of dominance. Her blue skin was streaked with red, though whether it was blood or paint, Lilith found it impossible to tell.

Akurra had a gleam of insanity in her eyes as they locked onto Lilith. She aimed her sword at the brunette and with a powerful battle cry, charged towards her childhood friend.

Lilith knew her swords would be no match for Akurra’s, so she hoisted up Khigforn’s hammer and swung it at hard as she could. The tip of Akurra’s blade became lodged in the side of the hammer.

Akurra’s eyes widened. _“No!”_ she hissed.

Lilith jerked back the hammer, bringing the sword with it, and hurled them both across the arena. She noticed the blue mist rising up from around Akurra’s feet and jumped back as her former friend began to change shape. She, too, called upon the dragon within her, and for the first time in seventeen years, purple mist rose up from her feet and she took on the colossal form of a black dragon.

She struck first, once again slashing at Akurra’s face, only this time with her claws. Akurra let out an agonizing roar and stumbled back a bit, struggling to maintain her balance. Lilith slashed at her again, this time tearing into the side of her neck and breathing a torrent of purple flames in the blue dragon’s face.

Akurra slung her spiked tail around, driving the jagged barbs into Lilith’s leg and earning a terrible roar of pain. Lilith, however, was quick to recover and slammed her body into Akurra’s, knocking her onto her back. Akurra snarled and tried to get back up, but Lilith had her pinned to the ground and was about to release another burst of flame.

_‘Wait!’_

Akurra reached out with her mind, and Lilith paused, visibly confused. Akurra’s demented laughter rang out in Lilith’s mind.

_‘Fool.’_

Lilith roared, stumbling back as Akurra engulfed her in a massive wall of blue flame. It might just have been beautiful had it not hurt so damn badly. She thought the burning would cease, but it just kept coming. The pain was unbearable. She felt as though her flesh was boiling. She continued to roar in agony, but Akurra did not let up. Lilith reached out with her mind.

 _‘Please!’_ she screamed, _‘Enough of this!’_

 _‘No!’_ Akurra snapped, _‘I tried to make amends, and how do you repay me? You cast me aside! You disregard our friendship! Our love! You could have been my mate, Lilith! But now you are my enemy! So you can spend your last moments burning alive, you bitch!’_

Lilith mustered up enough strength to slash at Akurra, leaving gaping wounds in her abdomen and causing her to stop breathing fire abruptly. Seeing that she had the opportunity, Lilith lunged forward and sank her fangs into Akurra’s throat, ripping away the flesh and filling her mouth with blood as Akurra shrieked like a banshee. Just when Lilith thought she had the upper-hand, she collapsed, having used up what little strength she had left, and was unable to push herself back up. Akurra promptly grabbed her by the neck and slammed her colossal head into the blood-stained sand.

Lilith began to shrink back into her bipedal form, unable to maintain her dragon body any longer. Satisfied, Akurra turned away, but swatted Lilith with her tail and sent the brunette flying against the wall with a sickening _crack._ A collective gasp resonated throughout the crowd, which infuriated Akurra. She started to transform back into her two-leg form, but as her body was in the process of morphing, she heard the audience starting to cheer again, which confused her.

She turned to see what all the fuss was about, and when she did, she was mortified to find herself staring at her own blade, in the hands of Lilith, who was somehow still alive. To make matters worse, it was headed straight for her head. She tried to move, but it was too late.

With a hearty battle cry, Lilith drove the enormous blade between Akurra’s eyes, pushing it in all the way to the hilt, and jumped back as Akurra’s colossal body started to sway. The blue dragon landed in the hot, stinging sand with a loud _thud,_ resulting in a large cloud of dust. When it cleared, Akurra was back in her usual form, broken and bloody, and her sword was lying just a few yards away from her. So, too, was Lilith lying in the sand. The two guards rushed over to her in a panic, and when one of them touched her wrist, he was relieved to find that she still had a heartbeat.

“She’s alive!” he shouted.

The other guard felt for Akurra’s pulse, but there was none.

“Akurra is defeated!”

The crowd roared in a mix of excitement and resentment, and all the Elders looked very much displeased— save for Maleficent, of course— but they had no choice but to stand and clap anyhow.

The guard held up Lilith’s arm. “All hail, _the_ _Sovereign!”_

Emma was in the top row, close to the dais where the Elders were standing, applauding Lilith’s victory along with the rest of the crowd. As she did, she happened to catch a glimpse of purple across the way, and when she looked up, she was left speechless. There stood a woman with lilac skin and raven hair. She did not appear to be a Draconian.

The woman locked eyes with the Captain, and the moment she did, she turned and walked out of the arena. Emma couldn’t believe it. She had to know what she was seeing hadn’t been real, but it certainly seemed that way. She couldn’t just walk out now. Not when Lilith had just been declared the victor.

Had she _really_ just seen Regina? How long had the woman been here? And why hadn’t Emma been told about it? Why hadn’t the Queen come to check up on her? It wasn’t like Regina at all! Something wasn’t right here, and Emma knew she needed to get to the bottom of it.


	23. Seeing Double

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update

The Captain knocked on Lilith’s door. “Lilith?”

“Come in,” said the brunette.

Emma pushed open the heavy door and offered a faint smile. “How ya feeling, Sovereign?” she asked.

Lilith was sitting up in bed with a brace around her torso. It was wrapped tightly, making it difficult to breathe, but it was helping to keep her ribs in place, as she’d broken four of them in her fight with Akurra.

“Better,” she said with a sigh, “but still not great.”

“Damn. I’m sorry,” said Emma, “It must be hard, killing a friend.”

“She wasn’t my friend. Not really. She was just trying to manipulate me. She tried to get me to mate with her, Emma.”

“What? When?”

“Several weeks ago, while you were asleep,” said Lilith, “She tried to seduce me, but I saw right through her bullshit. She must have really thought I was an idiot. Mother was right about her. She was a monster. Yet I still feel guilty for killing her. We were close once. We did sleep together a few times, but I broke it off not long before I left. I never told her I was leaving. I never told her I was sorry. Despite what she did, I still wish I had, but it’s all in the past now.”

“What was she like?” asked Emma, “I mean, before she went senile?”

Lilith chuckled, though there was more sorrow in it than mirth. “She was happy. We were happy. She was with me when I first learned how to fly. It was harder for me because I’m not a pureblood, but she encouraged me to keep trying. She listened to me whenever I needed to vent, which was _a lot,_ mind you. She actually cared about what I had to say. She gave me advice when I needed it, even if I thought I didn’t. She was good about that. Reading people, I mean. She always seemed to know what was on my mind, even when I didn’t say it. I didn’t have to. Maybe it’s a pureblood thing. I don’t know. All I know is that sleeping with her was inevitable. I never let anyone dominate me. I was always on top, but with her, it was different. She took over, but she didn’t make me feel like I was submissive. She pleased me the way I liked to be pleased. She never had to ask if I enjoyed what she did to me, because we both knew I did. Hell, I _loved it,_ Swan. I loved _her._ And I killed her. She was the only woman I ever loved, and I drove her own sword through her skull. She was a monster— there’s no denying that— but so am I.”

“No, Lilith,” said Emma, “You’re a hero.”

“How can you possibly believe that?”

“Because, you kept a psychopath from ruling the entire planet. Don’t you think that’s a good thing?”

Lilith hesitated and looked out the window. “I suppose so,” she said quietly.

“Lilith?”

“Hm?”

Emma hesitated. “I think I saw the Queen.”

The brunette turned back to face her with a look of confusion. “What? Where?”

“In the arena.”

“That’s not possible. No other ships have come here since we arrived. You must have seen someone else. There are a lot of Draconian women with purple skin.”

“But she didn’t look like a Draconian,” Emma argued.

“She was that close to you?”

“No,” said Emma, “She was on the other side, but I could tell it was her. I could tell she was looking right at me.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’d know her anywhere, Lilith. It was definitely Regina.”

“Well, why didn’t you go after her?”

“She disappeared right after you were declared Sovereign. I wanted to follow her, but even I had, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up. She was too far away for me to know where she went.”

“I’ll send out a search party,” said Lilith, “It’s only been a day. She can’t have gotten far.”

“You don’t have to do that,” said Emma, “I’ll see if I can find her myself. Maybe she needs me.”

“If that’s the case, then why hasn’t she come here? Surely she knows we’ve all been staying here.”

“Good point. Maybe she’s just hiding because of whatever beef she and Maleficent have, like she was talking about in that message. Speaking of which, do you know anything about that?”

“Afraid not,” said Lilith, “I’ll ask her.”

Emma started to respond, but was cut off by a knock at the door. Baelfire’s voice emitted from the other side.

_“Lilith? It’s us. Can we come in?”_

Lilith looked as exhausted as she sounded. “Yeah. Come on.”

Baelfire opened the door and stepped inside with Red and Jefferson in tow. The three of them looked tired and just a tad malnourished, but they were all smiling faintly, just happy to have their freedom. Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw Emma standing there.

“Captain! How are you feeling?” asked Baelfire.

“Conflicted,” said Emma, “I’m positive I saw the Queen watching me in the arena.”

Jefferson arched an eyebrow. “The Queen, you say? How can that be?”

“I don’t know, but I swear it was her. She looked right at me.”

“I can try locating her,” Red offered, “I know her scent.”

Emma’s eyes gleamed with hope. “Oh, would you? Please? It would mean a lot to me.”

Red’s smile widened. “Sure thing, Captain.”

“Just call me Emma. All of you. We’re family, after all.”

“You consider us family?”

Emma smiled and nodded. “I see that now. I didn’t before, but Lilith helped me open my eyes.”

Baelfire brought a hand to his chest. “Why, Emma, I’m flattered,” he said, “You want me to help look, too?”

“The more the merrier,” Emma told him.

\---

Emma and Baelfire followed after Red as she led them through the surrounding village.

“So Lilith grew up here?” asked Emma.

“Yep,” said Baelfire.

“And what clan is this?”

“The Lotan clan. They’re the largest, but also the most docile.”

“I don’t know,” said Emma, “A lot of them seem kind of aggressive.”

“I never said they weren’t,” said Baelfire, “It’s just that the other clans are far worse.”

“Well, damn.”

The villagers watched them with a mix of suspicion and intrigue as they passed through. A young Draconian boy with blue skin smiled at Emma and waved. She waved back, but a woman, whom she assumed was the boy’s mother, promptly ushered him inside despite his protests. Emma sighed, but kept moving.

“Don’t worry, Emma,” Baelfire told her, “They just don’t like strangers.”

“That kid didn’t seem to mind us.”

“Maybe he sensed you were a star,” said Baelfire, “I’ve found that children are more attuned to detecting auras and spirits.”

“And you believe in that?” asked Emma.

Baelfire nodded. “Of course. Don’t you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen anyone’s aura or whatever.”

“You don’t see aura,” Red explained, “You feel it. As for spirits, well, they manifest near large quantities of magic.”

“So magic is real? Like ‘abracadabra’ magic, or ‘summoning the dead’ magic?”

“I don’t know about that first thing,” said Red, “but it isn’t possible to summon the dead.”

“Well, you see, that’s where you’re wrong,” said Emma.

Red frowned in confusion. “What?”

“I suppose since people have been keeping secrets, that maybe I should spill one,” the Captain replied, “Regina isn’t really immortal. She’s a clone.”

Red and Baelfire froze, gaping at her in shock. _“What?”_ they asked in unison.

“Whale was cloning her for two-hundred years. Every time she died, he would use one of her hearts and her brain to clone her again.”

“You _knew_ about this?” asked Red, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I swore that I wouldn’t,” said Emma, “but I guess since Regina kept a secret from me, it’s fair game.”

“So _that’s_ how she survived the mutiny,” said Baelfire.

A sullen look fell over Emma’s face. “That’s just it,” she said, “She didn’t survive. Whale just brought her back again, and since she had her brain, all her memories were intact. Then that bastard had the nerve to use my hand to clone that evil bitch.”

“But she’s not really _you,_ right?” asked Red, “You know, since you don’t share a heart or brain?”

“Right,” said Emma, “but if I’m a star, then apparently, so is she.”

“That _can’t_ be good,” said Baelfire.

Emma shook her head. “Nope.”

“What are you going to tell the Queen once you find her?” asked Red.

“Well for starters, I’m gonna ask her why she didn’t tell me I was a star,” said Emma, “and then I’m gonna try to find out why she didn’t just come with us in the first place if she was coming here anyway. I mean, in her message, she said she was going to some secret location. Why would it be here, of all places? Isn’t that kind of redundant?”

“Good point,” said Baelfire, “Something isn’t right here.”

Red nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Let’s keep moving.”

“Actually, why don’t we split up? That way we can cover more ground a lot quicker.”

“Are you sure? What if something goes wrong?”

“You’ve got your comms, right? And your guns? I’m sure we’ll all be fine. Besides, now that Lilith is Sovereign, I doubt she’ll put up with anyone harassing her friends.”

Red and Baelfire looked at one another in concern before turning back to her.

“It’s not the villagers I’m worried about,” said Red.

“Huh? What, you think Regina would hurt me? She wouldn’t do that. I’m her friend.”

“But she lied to you, didn’t she?” asked Red, “Besides, I just have this sinking feeling that something terrible is going to happen.”

“Don’t worry, Red,” Emma assured, “I seriously doubt anything will happen, but if it does, I’ve got my gun right here. If that doesn’t work, then I’ve got my fists.”

“What if she doesn’t want to be found?” asked Baelfire.

“Why would she come here, then?” Emma retorted.

Red stepped forward with a frown. “What if it’s a trap?”

“I’m telling you, it’s alright!” the Captain insisted, “Everything’s gonna be okay, I promise.”

“If you’re certain,” Red said reluctantly, “but turn on your locator, just in case.”

“Great idea,” said Emma, “Okay, I’ll search the eastside. Red, you go west. Baelfire, you head north.”

Red sighed. “Right.”

“Sure thing,” said Baelfire.

And with that, they went their separate ways.

Emma strolled through the streets of the village, doing her best to ignore the stares she was receiving from the Draconians and enjoying the feel of the cool breeze rushing through her hair. The sun made her golden tresses shimmer beautifully, and she found herself wondering yet again if it was alive like her. She daydreamed a bit as she glanced around for any sign of Regina, and was abruptly pulled from her thoughts by the sound of someone uttering her name.

_“Emma!”_

It sounded like Regina. The Captain stopped dead in her tracks, looking around in confusion. She swore she’d heard the Queen’s voice, but she didn’t see the Queen. Again, she heard the sound of her name.

_“Swan! Over here!”_

Turning, Emma saw a cloaked figure standing in the nearby alcove, beckoning her to come closer. Emma subtly switched off the safety on her gun and made her way towards the stranger.

“Regina?” she asked warily.

“Yes, it’s me,” said the woman.

“Pull back your hood. Let me see your face.”

“Very well.”

It was definitely Regina. Emma sighed in relief and moved quickly to join her friend. She pulled the brunette into a tight embrace, oblivious to the way the woman stiffened at the contact.

“God, I’ve missed you,” she said, “You know, I have to tell you something, Regina. I know you’re probably gonna be mad, but I saw what was on the disk. I know the truth. I just need to know why you would keep something like that from me.”

Regina hesitated. “Apologies, Swan,” she said stiffly, “for that and for _this.”_

Emma frowned. _“Huh?”_

She gasped when she felt a stinging pain in the side of her neck. She pulled back, bringing her metallic hand up to the brunette’s face. Her frown deepened as her vision became blurry. She let out a low groan.

“What’s the matter, Swan?” asked the Queen, “Seeing double?”

“W-What?” Emma mumbled, “Regina, I—”

She paused when she pulled her hand away. Silver paint was coating the ends of her bionic fingers. She blinked in confusion, thinking she was just seeing things, but the paint remained.

“I don’t— understand,” she rasped.

She looked back up at the brunette and found that the silver dragon on the woman’s face had smeared. It had been painted on. Emma shook her head, bewildered, and swayed a bit as she was struggling to maintain her balance.

“Regina, what’s going on? W-Why’d you paint your face? What happened to your tattoo?”

The brunette grabbed Emma by the throat and shoved her back against the wall roughly, making her groan in pain. Emma brought her hands up to the Queen’s wrist to pry it away, but found she was too weak. Her eyes repeatedly slipped shut, as she found it increasingly-difficult to keep them open.

“What’s h— happening to me?”

The Queen’s lips brushed lightly against Emma’s ear. “You’re going to take a little nap, my dear,” she murmured, _“Sweet dreams.”_

That was the last thing Emma heard before her eyes finally slid shut, and she found herself alone in the darkness once more.


	24. Emma's Dilemma

“Where is she?” asked Baelfire.

“My locator says her comm is close by,” Red told him, “Maybe she found the Queen.”

“But why wouldn’t she tell us?”

Red shook her head. “I don’t know. Perhaps her comm just wasn’t working. Oh! It’s in that alcove, to the right.”

The two approached the alcove slowly, fully expecting to find the Captain, but to their shock and confusion, it was entirely empty. All that remained was the golden disk that had once adorned Emma’s shoulder plate. Red picked it up carefully to inspect it.

“It doesn’t appear to be damaged,” she said, “but it smells a bit like—”

The color suddenly drained from her face.

Baelfire frowned. “What? What is it?”

“It smells like a sedative, though the scent is faint. Whoever took Emma had to have injected her with something.”

“You don’t think it was the Queen, do you?”

“Who else would it be?” asked Red, “The only other scents I’m picking up are hers and the Captain’s.”

“Why would the Queen kidnap Emma?”

“I don’t know, but I knew something bad was going to happen! If only she’d listened to me!”

“Hey, Red, don’t sweat it. We’ll find her.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Baelfire smiled. “Because you’ve got the sharpest nose on Drakken’haem.”

\---

Emma awoke feeling lightheaded. She was lying in a bed just like before, though she was fully-clothed this time. She started to sit up, only to find that her left hand had been cuffed to the bed. She frowned and went to unfasten the restraint, but was horrified to find that her metallic hand had been removed from its socket.

“Fuck! Regina! Let me out of here! What the hell’s going on?!”

It was then that the door slid open, and in walked Regina. But it wasn’t Regina. Not really. She was lacking her tattoo, and her eyes were a deep shade of purple, much darker than her complexion. They had been brown before.

Emma’s eyes widened in fear. “Who— What are you?! Where’s Regina?! What have you done with her?!”

“I would be more concerned with _myself_ if I were you, Captain.”

“What do you want with me? Where’s my hand?”

“Do you mean _this hand?”_

The brunette held up Emma’s metallic hand, smirking wickedly. The Captain glared daggers at her.

“Give that back!”

“Hmm,” said the brunette, “No.”

“Damn you!” shouted Emma, “Who are you?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m a clone.”

Emma’s heart sank. _“…What?_ Who cloned you?”

“All in good time, Swan. All in good time.”

The brunette made her way towards the bed and Emma tried to scramble back in a panic, only to realize that her ankles were bound as well, limiting her movement. She gasped and locked eyes with Regina’s imposter, now fully-aware of the danger she was currently in.

“Please,” she rasped, “I don’t know what you want, but just don’t hurt me. God, please, I’m begging you.”

Rather than responding, the brunette slammed her lips against Emma’s in a dominating kiss. The Captain struggled to pull away, but the clone grabbed her by the chin. Emma grunted as she tried desperately to free herself from her restraints, but her efforts were in vain. She started swinging at the brunette with her right arm, despite not having her bionic hand.

The clone grabbed her arm tightly and sneered at her. “And here I thought I wouldn’t need to restrain your arm. Give an inch of mercy, and you take a mile. Ungrateful brat. It seems I have no choice but to tie you down completely.”

And she did, leaving Emma powerless. Or so it seemed.

“Please,” rasped the blonde, “Just let me go. You don’t have to do this.”

“You’re right. I don’t _have_ to do anything,” said the clone, “but I want to.”

“Why? What are you getting out of this? Money?”

The brunette was silent for a moment, staring deep into Emma’s eyes. “Yes— and freedom,” she murmured, “I’m getting my freedom.”

Emma blinked at her in surprise. “You’re a slave, then?”

The brunette frowned. “Of course not!” she scoffed, “I simply need to bring you to my employer.”

“Who’s your employer?”

“That’s none of your concern,” said the clone, “though initially, it was Gemini who hired me.”

“Who’s Gemini?”

“Your clone. She now rules the Grawlers. Thankfully, she betrayed that bastard, Mr. H, and was able to overthrow him, but now it is I who will betray _her.”_

“What? You mean Regina didn’t blow up the sewers?”

The clone’s expression became bitter. “Oh, she did,” she said, “and as a result, Gemini has slowly begun dying. Because you are an Astrellan, so is she, but she is what you might call a Dark Star. Once she dies, her body will transform into a black hole, and Skráv Jangála will be no more. She needs me to bring you to her so that she can steal your energy and rejuvenate herself, but I’ve decided that she wasn’t going to pay me nearly enough, so my plans have changed.”

“What happened to Regina? Did she get away? Did her people get to the surrounding systems?”

“All the Galans left shortly after you and your crew departed from the Capital,” replied the clone, “As for Regina, well, the Grawlers blew her starship out of the sky. I imagine it is somewhere at the bottom of the ocean by now, along with her and her Watchmen.”

Emma’s eyes widened in horror, and tears slipped down her cheeks. “No,” she rasped, “No, that can’t be true— you’re lying! You bitch! She can’t be dead! She had to have escaped!”

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you, Swan. Even if she did survive, it wasn’t for long. The Hyperion isn’t an aquatic vessel. It couldn’t possibly sustain the pressure of the sea.”

“You know, for her clone, you sure know jack-shit about Regina,” said Emma. She was now smirking. “Much less your own anatomy.”

The brunette frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Galans can hold their breath for quite some time. An hour, I think. Maybe even two. So if the Hyperion went down in the ocean, then it would take way longer than that to reach the bottom. Regina could have escaped, and she’s gotta be the fastest swimmer I’ve ever seen. Hell, she learned it from an Atta’lean. You’re a damn fool if you think a little water could stop her.”

The clone sat back in alarm, but glared hatefully at Emma. _“Impossible!”_

“Nope. I take it my evil twin didn’t know about this?”

“Alas, no,” the brunette said reluctantly.

Emma smirked. “I suppose she didn’t tell you about _this,_ either, or that I’m a master at distracting people.”

The brunette’s frown deepened. _“What?”_

Emma aimed her wrist at the clone, exposing the hole in the metal socket, and in an instant, a surge of blue energy erupted from within it, blasting the mortified brunette off the bed and across the room, where she slammed roughly into the wall, instantly knocking her unconscious.

Emma then shot through her restraints and swiped her bionic hand from the end of the bed. She almost reattached it, but as she ran out into the corridor, she came face to face with a reptilian who stared at her in mild confusion.

“Lady Gemini? Since when have you—”

He was cut off as Emma thrust her arm forward, blasting a hole through his grotesque face. His colossal body collapsed to the floor without grace. Emma stared at him with a mix of remorse and disgust. She didn’t want to have to kill anyone, but she knew that if she didn’t, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. She darted past the reptilian’s corpse, turning the corner and rushing past a window.

She froze.

Looking out the window, the Captain was horrified to find that the ground was growing further and further away. Her eyes widened in alarm. She was on a starship. They were taking her. Where, she had no idea, but she had no intention of staying long enough to find out. She needed to find the Helm.

She continued running down the corridor, only to feel a jolt of excruciating pain surge through her as something struck her between the shoulder blades. She collapsed instantly. She willed herself to move, but was left mortified when she realized she couldn’t. She was paralyzed. She could do nothing but look on in fear as the brunette came into view, kneeling down beside her with a hateful expression.

“Did you really think it would be _that_ easy?” the clone hissed.

Emma just groaned, and then everything faded to black.

\---

When she awoke, the Captain found herself resting on a rock-hard cot behind a blue energy field. The ship’s Brig, no doubt. Her hand was missing again and her wrist cannon had been disabled. Even if it hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been able to blast her way out. She knew the energy field would just deflect the laser and make it ricochet all around the cell. Emma sat up with a sigh, still feeling tingles of electricity from the brunette’s stun-blaster.

 _“No escaping us now, Captain,”_ came a voice.

It was Regina’s, but at the same time, it wasn’t. It was far more sinister than Emma believed Regina was even capable of sounding. Again, the blonde sighed.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I _could_ tell you that,” said the brunette, “but I don’t think I will.”

“What’s your game, here? If you really want freedom, then why don’t you just leave? Why not take this ship and go somewhere else?”

The brunette smirked. “Because I’m getting paid to deliver you.”

“To who? If not Gemini, then who?”

“You will know, in time,” replied the clone, “but as for right now, well, I suppose I should introduce myself. I didn’t get the chance, seeing how you so rudely shot me. Thanks to you, I had to undergo rapid rejuvenation. No matter.”

She gestured to herself as if displaying some sort of expensive product.

“I may be Regina’s clone, but you, my dear, may call me _the Queen.”_

“But you aren’t a Queen. Regina is!”

“And I _am_ Regina,” the brunette argued, “Only better.”

“You’re not better than her! You’re worse! Let me out of here, you evil bitch!”

The Queen threw back her head and laughed. “You’re in no position to be making orders, Captain.”

“If you really think you’re the Queen, then why are you working for someone else? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

The Queen sneered at her. “This is only a temporary arrangement. Soon, I shall have both my money _and_ my freedom, and there is nothing you nor anyone else can do to stop me!”

“What are you gonna do, take over Grayskull? Give up while you still can, Skeletor.”

 _“…What?”_ The Queen shook her head. “Never mind! Enjoy your cell, Captain. You’ll be staying here for a good while.”

“How long of a while?”

“Four days.”

And with that, the Queen walked away, leaving Emma alone once more. The Captain lied back down on her cot, staring up at the ceiling with tears in her eyes.

_“God, Regina, where are you?”_


	25. Betrayal

Emma was pacing her cell when she heard footsteps approaching quickly. She went to see who it was and found the Queen moving towards her with an unreadable expression. That was the least of her worries. She was far more concerned about the stun-blaster in the woman’s hands. Emma backed away quickly, pressing herself into the far corner like a frightened animal. Her eyes were wide, like those of a deer in the headlights.

“At ease, Swan,” said the Queen, “I will only use this should you try to attack me.”

She pulled a holographic security card from within her jacket and held it up in front of the scanner, disabling the energy field.

“Come along,” she said firmly, “Lest you wish to be paralyzed a second time.”

Emma reluctantly obeyed, pausing when the Queen aimed the blaster at her. She soon found herself in heavy restraints, which covered the entire length of her forearms. This caused her to stumble a few times.

“Has it been four days already?” she asked.

“Yes,” said the Queen, “Now get moving. We cannot keep my employer waiting any longer.”

“So who is your employer?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” replied the Queen.

Emma was silent until they reached the Helm, where the Queen opened up the hatch and led her down the steps. Once outside, Emma studied her surroundings curiously, but found that she didn’t recognize the landscape. It was a rocky area, with a series of caves in the colossal mountain nearby.

“Where are we?” she asked.

 _“Upir’haem,”_ said the Queen.

“Never heard of it.”

“Home of the Vampires,” the brunette clarified.

Emma’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. You’re selling me to _vampires?”_

“That is correct.”

Emma’s face paled. “Tell me they’re not going to use me as a blood-bag.”

“I would assume so,” said the Queen, “but I truly do not care.”

A group of vampires emerged from the caves, jumping down and approaching the pair with their guns drawn.

“State your business!” one of them barked.

He was a tall, dark-skinned man with dreadlocks, all tied back high on his head. He had crimson eyes that gleamed with murderous intent, and a golden hoop hanging from his left ear.

“I am here to see the man called Rogers,” said the Queen, “He hired me to bring him Emma Swan.”

The men looked at each other warily, but lowered their weapons.

“Very well,” said the tall man, “Come. We will take you to Rogers.”

“Who’s Rogers?” asked Emma.

The vampires turned and glared at her over their shoulders, and the Queen slapped her arm harshly.

 _“Silence,”_ the brunette hissed.

And so Emma kept her mouth shut, watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to make her move. Alas, now was not the time. She followed after the Queen and the vampires, entering a dark cave at the base of the mountain, where torches flickered along the walls, casting an eerie orange glow throughout the cavern.

“Rogers!” called the tall man, “Your cargo has arrived!”

Heavy footsteps echoed all through the dim cave, leaving Emma unnerved as she waited for their owner to emerge from the shadows. Soon, she could see a pair of glowing red eyes shining within the darkness, and out stepped a pale man whose face still haunted her dreams. He looked a bit different, but she still recognized him immediately. His beard was fuller and his hair was longer, hanging down over his murderous eyes in loose strings. Not to mention he had sideburns.

 _“Jones,”_ Emma rasped, _“You’re alive.”_

“I’m afraid you have me mistaken for my brother, Swan,” said the man, “My twin brother. You know, the one you _shot_ into the _Galan sun.”_

He glared hatefully at her, but barked out orders at his lackeys.

“Take her away,” he snapped, “and the brunette, too!”

The Queen’s eyes grew wide with horror. _“What?!_ No! We had a deal! You promised me ten times my weight in gold!”

Rogers scoffed. “And you _believed_ that? I just needed you to bring me the Captain. I can’t have you running off with my precious gold and telling others about this transaction. The last thing I need is for the Captain’s whereabouts to be traced back here. Away with you, wench! The sight of you sickens me.”

The tall vampire grabbed Emma, and the shorter one took hold of the Queen. They ushered the two struggling women into the shadows and towards the damp, dark prison cell with impenetrable bars.

Rogers called out after them. “Don’t even think about escaping. Those bars are electrified. One touch, and they’ll stop your heart.” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that.”

The vampires essentially threw the Queen into the dreary cell before ripping the restraints from Emma’s arms and shoving her in as well. They bolted the door and left with a shared huff of frustration.

The Queen bared her teeth in rage, and for the first time in her short life, she allowed herself to cry, though it was not her proudest moment. Despite what had happened between them, Emma felt guilty when she saw the Queen’s tears.

“You look so much like her,” said the Captain, “Regina, I mean. You sound like her, too. Hell, you even _cry_ like her.”

“Don’t you mock me!” the Queen hissed.

Emma regarded the brunette with a look of sorrow. “I’m not mocking you,” she said softly, “I’m just trying to understand you, is all. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to get to know you a little better.”

“I’d rather die!” the Queen said viciously.

Emma let out a heavy sigh. “Suit yourself. I just thought that since we’re both going to be stuck in here together, we might as well learn to get along. Besides, talking to someone will keep us both from going insane.”

When the Queen said nothing, the Captain just shrugged and turned away from the brunette, moving to lie on her side with her back facing the bitter clone.

The Queen sat with her arms crossed in defiance. That is, until she realized that maybe talking to someone would be ideal, after all. She looked over at the Captain with uncertainty, but after a moment, she moved closer and gently shook the blonde’s plated shoulder.

“Swan?” she murmured.

Emma turned and looked at her with a soft smile. “I’m guessing you changed your mind?”

The Queen hesitated. “As much as it pains me to admit, I fear you may be right. You wish to know more about me, then I will answer any questions you have. Within reason, of course.”

Emma’s smile widened as she sat up. “Okay. Let’s start with the basics. How old are you? Where were you born?”

“I was born in Sector 108, in one of Whale’s hyper-development tanks. That was nearly a month ago.”

“And what’s your favorite color?”

The Queen raised an eyebrow. “What has that got to do with anything?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Very well. I enjoy all colors,” said the Queen, “with the exception of pink.”

“Same here,” said Emma, “I’ve never been a fan of pink, although yellow’s gotta be my favorite. Oh, and red. I’ve always liked red.”

The Queen cocked her head in mild confusion. “You seem rather childlike, Swan. How old are you?”

“Well, I don’t know how old I was when I was a star, but as a human, I’m twenty-eight.”

“And you come from Earth?”

Emma nodded. “I met Regina when I was thirteen. I begged her to take me with her, and of course, she did. I’m grateful to her. She taught me so many things, like how to speak Galan, and how to defend myself in combat.”

“What is she to you? A mother? A sister? A lover?”

Emma smiled. “She’s my best friend. She’s family. She’s Regina— _my_ Regina— and I’m hers.”

“Do you think she will be able to locate us?”

“I know she will,” said the Captain, “I have faith in her.”

“How can you put so much trust in one person?”

“Well, she was the first person to ever give a damn about me,” Emma said with a solemn smile, “and she was the first person I ever allowed myself to trust. She gave me everything. She protected me. Held me. Comforted me. Hell, she’s even made love to me.”

The Queen seemed genuinely taken aback. “You must be very special to her.”

“That’s an understatement,” said the blonde, “I’m her whole world. Now it seems I’m her shining star.”

The Queen hesitated. “What do you want most in life, Swan?”

“To be with Regina.”

“And do you think that perhaps _I_ could be enough?”

Now it was Emma who was stunned. “You want what Regina and I have?”

“I haven’t lived long enough to know what it is to be loved,” said the Queen, “but from what you have just described, I feel it is something I desire. Will you love me, Swan? Will you love me as you love her?”

Silence fell over them.


	26. Innocence Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this on my birthday. I'm officially 21 today.
> 
> Unfortunately, I must warn you that while this chapter is shorter than most, it contains strong mentions of rape, though the act itself is not described. Just the aftermath. I sincerely apologize if this upsets or offends anyone.

Emma was lying on her side with her back turned to the Queen, breathing soft, steady breaths so as to look like she was asleep. The Queen watched her from across the cell with a bitter expression.

“You didn’t have to say _yes,_ Swan,” said the brunette, “but the least you could do is give me an answer. This petty silence is unbecoming of you. Now you truly _are_ behaving like a child.”

“What the hell am I supposed to say?” Emma snapped.

“I don’t know— _something,”_ said the Queen, _“Anything.”_

“You can’t just say shit like that! You may be Regina, but you’re not _my_ Regina!”

“There. Was that so hard?”

Emma turned and glared daggers at the Queen. “I won’t say that we can’t eventually be friends, though that’s certainly going to take a while, seeing how you drugged and kidnapped me,” she said, “but there’s no way in Hell I’m going to let you replace her. You’re a copy, but _not_ a substitute.”

“Fair enough. I apologize for my actions, Swan. Had I known Rogers would betray me, I would not have come here.”

“Where would you have gone, then? Back to Gemini?”

“No. It is far too late for that. She must know by now that I have turned my back on her. If I did return, she would undoubtedly have me killed. Gemini does not tolerate disobedience.”

“Does she scare you?” asked Emma, “Be honest.”

The Queen hesitated, looking away so as to avoid the Captain’s gaze. “She terrifies me. Just looking into her eyes makes my very soul quiver.” Then she locked eyes with Emma. “But what _is_ a soul, Captain?”

Emma shook her head. “Can’t say I know.”

\---

“What do you want us to do with the Queen’s ship?” asked the man with the dreadlocks.

“First of all, I’ve seen the Queen, and that _thing—_ whatever it is— is _not_ her,” said Rogers, “and as for the ship, I say we sell it to Pan. I’m sure he’d appreciate a new toy to play with.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and Lincoln?”

“Yes?”

“Bring Emma Swan to me.”

“Of course, sir.”

\---

Emma had kicked and struggled as the tall man grabbed her by the hair and dragged her roughly out of the cell. The Queen attempted to stop him, but he backhanded her, causing her to fall onto her back without grace. She glared up at him, but there was nothing she could do, for he had already locked the cell door.

“Let me go, you son of a bitch!” Emma shouted.

The tall man said nothing. Instead, he tightened his grip on her hair and snarled viciously at her in warning. After what felt like an eternity, he finally brought her before the man called Rogers and threw her down so that she was on her knees. Emma glared at him over her shoulder before turning her attention back to Rogers, narrowing her eyes at him with sheer hatred.

“What the fuck do you want?” she hissed.

The tall man scowled. “You _insolent—”_

Rogers held up a hand, silencing the man. He kept his eyes trained on Emma.

“At ease, Lincoln. Just hold down the Captain, would you? She needs to pay for what she did to my brother.”

As Emma saw his eyes darken, her blood ran cold and her heart just about stopped. She started struggling, kicking and thrashing against the tall man, but her strength was no match for his. Tears slipped down her eyes as she realized just what was going to happen to her. All she could think of was how badly she needed Regina.

 _“REGINA!”_ she screamed.

Rogers unzipped his pants. “Don’t bother, Swan,” he said, “She can’t save you. No one can.”

\---

The Queen watched in horror as the dark-skinned man dragged Emma towards the cell. She wasn’t moving. She seemed to be unconscious. She’d been completely stripped of her clothing. Bruises riddled her otherwise-flawless skin. Her right eye was bruised and swollen shut. There were deep bite marks on the side of her neck, from which blood seeped.

The tall man unlocked the cell door and threw the Captain inside without grace. She landed roughly on the hard ground, groaning, but otherwise remained silent. The Queen glared hatefully at the tall man as he latched the door and walked away without so much as a glance in their direction. She then turned her attention back to the broken blonde, swallowing fearfully, for she was acutely-aware of what had just occurred.

“Oh, Emma,” she murmured, bringing a hand to the blonde’s cheek, “I’m _so_ _sorry.”_

As the Queen took the Captain in her arms, the blonde began to shake and sob uncontrollably, clinging tightly to the brunette as if never intending to let go. Soon she was crying out in misery, weeping into the Queen’s shoulder. The Queen held her gently, overwhelmed with remorse for getting her into this situation in the first place.

“Everything’s going to be alright,” the brunette whispered, “I promise.”

But everything was _not_ alright.


	27. Soul

It was only when Emma became increasingly-nauseous with each passing day that the Queen began to suspect the blonde might just be pregnant, but the Captain, of course, was completely in denial. Emma was convinced that her body was just reacting negatively to something she’d eaten, which might have been plausible, considering the ‘food’ they were given was nothing more than gray mush, but the Queen had also eaten it, and was not consistently vomiting each morning.

The Captain only began to accept the truth when her stomach grew noticeably rounder. Just when she thought she’d already met her breaking point, she felt her soul shatter into a thousand pieces. Knowing that there was a life forming inside her would have been a blessing, had it not been conceived the way it had. The mere thought only worsened that sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Neither of them were sure how long they’d been stuck in that cell, but it had to have been at least five months, considering the size of the Captain’s stomach. It had just been the two of them so far, but they knew that in time, there would be three. The thought of what Rogers had done to her made Emma weep and shudder in disgust, but she held no hatred in her heart for the life developing within her. She could not bring herself to hate this child. It was not to blame for its conception. It was innocent. It was pure.

 _“What will you name it?”_ the Queen asked her one day. Or perhaps it was a night. It was hard to keep up.

Emma shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t want to get too attached.”

The Queen looked at her worriedly. “What? Why not? It’s your child.”

Emma locked eyes with the brunette, and there was pain etched into her flushed face. Her eyes were red and puffy from endless hours spent crying.

“What if Rogers takes it away? What if I don’t get to be its mother?”

“Do you want this child, Emma?” the Queen asked softly.

“You know I do. I want to be there for them. I never had parents to raise me, much less love me. All I’ve ever wanted is a family. I want to be a good mom. I know I’m not perfect, but I want a chance to prove myself.”

“I think you will make a good mother,” said the Queen, “You seem very protective over it.”

“You really think so?”

“Ever since your stomach began to swell, you’ve been holding it nonstop. It’s as if you’re holding onto the child itself.”

“If I’m being honest, I’m actually looking forward to it,” said Emma, “I’m just terrified that He’ll take the baby from me once it’s born. I can’t let that happen. I will do everything I can to ensure He doesn’t get His filthy hands on my kid, even if I die trying.”

The Queen moved closer to her so that they were resting side by side, sharing each other’s warmth.

“You’re shivering,” said the Queen.

“I keep thinking the kid’s taking my body heat,” Emma murmured, “Maybe I’m just losing my mind.”

The Queen brought a hand to the blonde’s shoulder. “I want you to know that whatever happens, I will be there for you. I know you probably won’t forgive me for getting you into this nightmare, but I’d like to do everything I can to make up for it. I truly am sorry, Emma. You don’t have to believe me, but my words ring true.”

“I believe you,” said Emma, “but this isn’t your fault. You didn’t do what _He_ did.”

“But if I hadn’t brought you here, then it never would have happened.”

“You were just looking for a way out, just like everyone else. We all want freedom,” said the Captain, “but freedom isn’t free. There are prices that must be paid, and sacrifices that must be made. It will take me time to forgive you. I don’t know how long, exactly, but I will, eventually.”

The Queen was silent for a moment. “Emma?”

“Hm?”

“What are you hoping for? A boy or a girl?”

Emma shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll love them all the same, regardless. No matter what they are, they’ll still have come from my womb. They’ll be a part of me.”

The Queen just nodded in understanding. “I was wrong,” she said, “You won’t just make a good mother. You’ll be a _great one.”_

The Captain offered a sullen smile. “I hope you’re right.” Her stomach roared in hunger. “God,” she muttered, “I could really go for some onion rings right about now. Maybe a PB-and-J. Yeah. That’s what I want.”

Though they remained in that cell for another few months, it seemed to pass so quickly, especially once Emma began having painful contractions. She would cry out in pain, but none of the vampires ever came to see what all the commotion was about. They probably didn’t care. Emma was grateful to at least have _some_ version of Regina by her side, even if it wasn’t the one she preferred, but beggars couldn’t exactly be choosers.

It was the Queen who helped deliver the baby, despite not knowing a damn thing about how to do it. It seemed to have just come naturally to her, though why that was, she had no idea. Regardless, she eased the Captain through the excruciating process, and in the end, it was entirely worth it.

“It’s a boy,” she murmured, staring down at the crying baby in awe. “He’s beautiful. Just like his mother.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks. She carefully handed the crying boy over to the astonished Captain.

Emma took the boy in her arms with a look of wonder. This was a living, breathing child. Her child. A perfectly healthy baby boy. She touched his cheek gently, and as she did, he suddenly ceased to cry. He reached blindly for her hand, as his eyes had yet to open. Emma wept, not in misery, but in pure joy.

“He really _is_ beautiful,” she choked, “and I made him. I made a little life inside me, and he’s mine. I’m a mother. I’m _his_ mother. God, I can’t— I can’t believe it.”

She looked up at the Queen and sniffled. “I finally figured it out,” she rasped.

The Queen tilted her head in confusion. “Figured what out?”

Emma turned her attention back to the baby and stroked his tiny head as he began to nurse.

“You once asked me what a soul was,” she murmured, “This is it. Right here.”


	28. Bug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update*

Emma was resting in the corner, holding the baby gently in her arms as he nursed. The Queen watched from across the cell with a soft smile. He was swaddled in her dark coat so as to keep him warm and secure. The brunette was surprised when she heard the Captain humming quietly to the boy. It seemed to soothe him, for he had stopped nursing and was now breathing soft, steady breaths.

Emma smiled down at him. “I love you, Bug,” she murmured, and she planted a light kiss upon his forehead.

The Queen arched an eyebrow. “Bug?” she quizzed, “You’re calling him _Bug?”_

Emma gave a soft chuckle. “Only until I can think of a better name.” She stroked the boy’s head ever so gently. “Besides, I think it’s cute. _He’s_ cute. Just look at him. If only Regina was here to see this.”

At this, the Queen turned away with a look of mild hurt on her face. The Captain took note of this almost immediately and sighed.

“I’m sorry, okay? It’s just hard for me to see you as Regina, is all. Did you ever look at Gemini and see me?”

The Queen remained silent, but she folded her arms in defiance.

“Didn’t think so,” said Emma, “You might share DNA, but you’re _not her._ You’re more like her sister, if anything. Despite everything that’s happened between us, I’ve come to respect you as a friend, but that doesn’t change the fact that you and Regina are two different people. Please, try to understand that.”

Finally, the Queen met the blonde’s gaze. “I just wish you could look at me the way you look at her,” she said bitterly.

“So you’re jealous, then? Does it really mean _that much_ to you that I see you as one in the same?”

“Yes,” said the Queen, “It does.”

“Why?”

“I told you, Emma, I want to experience the love you and Regina share.”

Emma shook her head with a sigh. “Don’t you see? I _do_ love you. I just don’t love you the same way I love her. What Regina and I have is, dare I say it, _sacred,”_ she said, “but you and me? What we share is much different. I’ve decided that if all goes well, I’d like you to be the kid’s godmother.”

The Queen’s eyes widened. She was visibly taken aback. “You— You really mean that?” she rasped.

Emma nodded, offering a faint smile. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I mean, you _did_ help deliver him, and you’ve comforted me all this time. It’s only fair.”

The Queen hesitated a moment, but began inching closer to the Captain. Soon they were side by side, both watching the baby in wonder. He was sleeping soundly in the blonde’s arms, curled up to her in search of his mother’s warmth.

The Queen smiled fondly at him. “He looks so peaceful.”

“Yeah,” Emma whispered, “I’m amazed at how healthy he is. I mean, I haven’t exactly been maintaining a balanced diet. I really don’t think _slop_ has any of the nutrients a baby needs.”

“Perhaps it has something to do with his genes,” said the Queen, “I mean, he _is_ one part Astrellan and one part vampire.”

“I guess you’re right,” said Emma, “I hope I can ween him before his fangs come in. The last thing I need is for him to start biting me.”

The Queen chuckled softly. “Surely it won’t come to that. I’m sure we can find blood for him elsewhere. I would be honored to give him some of mine.”

Emma was stunned. “You would do that?”

The Queen nodded. “Of course. If I am to be his godmother, then I will do all that I can to provide for him if need be.”

“Thank you,” said Emma, “That really means a lot to me.”

A smile graced the Queen’s lips, and she reached up to stroke the baby’s cheek with her finger.

“He’s so soft. So precious. I confess, until now, I had never seen an infant. I certainly hadn’t helped deliver them. It hadn’t occurred to me just how precious life was. I have come to realize over these past few months that I no longer care for my freedom. All I desire is to see you and your child leave this horrid place. No child should be brought up behind bars. Your freedom is far more important than mine.”

“Nonsense,” said the Captain, “When we get out of here, you’re coming with us. End of story.”

“You truly wish for me to join you?”

“Haven’t we been through this enough? Yes, I want you with me. I’ve come to know you as a friend. I trust you. Why else would I ask you to be his godmother?”

The Queen opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the dark-skinned vampire suddenly appeared before the cell door with a key, slinging it open and storming inside. His murderous eyes were locked on the now-crying baby.

“Give me the child,” he demanded, “Rogers was merciful enough to let you bond, but your time is up, _wench.”_

Emma’s eyes widened in utter horror. “No!” she cried, clutching the frightened child even tighter against her chest. “I won’t let you take him from me!”

The tall man’s eyes narrowed and he brought a hand to his gun. “Don’t make me use this,” he hissed, “Hand over the child, and no one gets hurt.”

The Captain grit her teeth in rage. “The only one that’s gonna get hurt is _you,_ you son of a bitch!”

She stood up quickly, and before the tall man had the chance to draw his weapon, she screamed in primal fury and a white, blinding light shot out from her eyes and enveloped the shocked vampire. After a moment— just a moment— the light faded back into the nothingness from whence it came. Emma froze when she laid witness to the scene before her. The vampire had vanished. There was absolutely nothing left of him. Not his clothes. Not his gun. Not even the golden hoop in his ear.

He was just _gone._

It was as if he’d never been there to begin with. So, too, was a large section of the stone wall missing. It was in that moment that Emma realized what exactly had occurred. Somehow— _some way—_ she had mustered up some sort of raw power, and completely vaporized the man. She gasped in horror, looking down at the crying baby in her arms and rocking him in a desperate attempt to calm him down.

“Shhh,” she cooed, “It’s okay, Bug. Everything’s gonna be okay. I won’t let anyone take you from me.”

She turned to the Queen with a look of apprehension, speaking with far more confidence than she truly felt.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.”

\---

Rogers was in his private quarters, waiting impatiently for Lincoln to return with his child when suddenly, there was a frantic knock at the door. He frowned in confusion and mild annoyance and walked to the door. He opened it quickly.

“Lincoln, what are you—”

He froze when he realized that it wasn’t Lincoln he was staring at, but Captain Swan. More specifically, her fist. Before he had time to react, the blonde decked him square in the face as hard as she possibly could. He stumbled backwards, clutching tightly at his broken nose and glaring hatefully at the Captain.

 _“You bitch!”_ he hissed.

He went to swing back at her, but before he could, the blonde’s knee had collided with his crotch. He let out a cry of pain, almost falling to his knees, but Emma was swift enough to pull the knife from his belt, grab him by the collar of his shirt, and drive the blade straight into his groin.

Rogers screamed in agony as pain ripped through him. Blood began to seep into the black fabric of his pants, spilling out as Emma tore the knife out and stabbed him through the heart. She pulled out the blade once more, and again, she stabbed him— this time in the stomach. The Captain then ripped open the monster’s pants, and with one strong swing, she drove the bloody blade straight into his manhood, severing it.

Blood was everywhere.

Rogers was screaming in excruciating pain, clutching at his mutilated crotch and keeling over onto the ground. With a vicious cry of anguish and fury, Emma began stabbing him repeatedly in the chest. She then noticed something metallic on the man’s desk, as it was shimmering in the flicker of the candle nearby.

It was her hand.

She swiped it, reattached it quickly, and once again punched the monster in his hideous, bloody face. Then she grabbed him by the wrist, picked up the knife, and hacked away at his left hand. He screamed and cursed at her, but despite his struggles, he was no match for her strength in that moment. It was as if her rage had manifested itself into an impossible, primal force of nature.

She grabbed a fistful of his greasy hair and dragged him out of the room and into the main part of the cavern. A group of vampires charged towards her with their guns drawn, but she just held Rogers’ hair even tighter and pressed the knife to his throat.

“Don’t come any fucking closer!” she screamed, “I swear to God, I’ll kill this piece of shit!”

The vampires paused, glancing between her and Rogers with obvious unease. Rogers glared at them in anger and disbelief.

“What are you waiting for, you idiots?!” he shouted, _“FIRE!”_

Despite their apprehension, the vampires aimed their guns with trembling hands, but before they had the chance to squeeze the triggers, intense light burst from the Captain’s eyes, and just like with the tall man, it vaporized them all. Rogers screamed in utter terror upon seeing this, but was promptly dragged away and out of the cavern. It was here that the Queen was awaiting Emma, holding the baby boy in her arms and regarding the Captain with a worried expression.

“I found us a new ship,” said the Queen, “It isn’t much, but I think it should be enough to get us to the nearest system.” She paused when she took note of the struggling vampire, and her eyes narrowed. “You really haven’t killed him yet?”

“Killing him would be the easy way out,” said Emma, “Besides, he would just keep coming back. I have something much, _much_ better in mind.”

The Queen just nodded, and rushed alongside the Captain towards the newfound starship. It wasn’t a battleship, but a freighter, which meant there was no Brig to hold Rogers, but Emma supposed that didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be trouble for them much longer. She forced him into the freighter ship and bound him securely to a chair with some strong cables she found in one of the ship’s storage compartments. She took a seat at the control panel, suddenly grateful for the countless hours she’d spent training to pilot a freighter.

“And here I thought I’d never have to fly one of these bad-boys,” she said hoarsely, “Alright, the systems seem to be intact. Let’s get the hell out of dodge.”

She sealed the hatch, shifted the power conductors, and the freighter’s engines roared to life as though they were a couple of ferocious beasts. The Queen took a seat next to her, holding the wide-eyed baby. His bulging eyes were fixated on Rogers, who stared back at him with an unreadable expression.

“That’s _my_ child,” the vampire hissed, “I command you to give him to me!”

The Queen glared daggers at him. “I do not take orders from the likes of you. You are a monster. You will not lay so much as a finger on this boy. He only came into this world because you forced your _disgusting_ self onto this poor woman, violating her in every sense of the word. So no. You don’t get to claim him. He is Emma’s child. Not yours. Now I suggest you remain silent, lest you wish to have your tongue cut out as well.”

After far too many months in their prison, they flew away from Upir’haem and into the vacuous void of space. All was quiet until the freighter began veering closer and closer to the sun. That was when Rogers realized his fate, and he started screaming and struggling to break free of his restraints. Emma switched off the engines, and the freighter became locked in a stationary hover.

The Captain turned and rose from her seat, and without so much as a word, tore away Rogers’ restraints and dragged him away, kicking and screaming, towards the waste chute. She switched on the chute with a mere push of a button and opened of the hatch, which descended into a dark abyss. She slammed Rogers’ head against the metallic rim with force, making him groan in pain, and through gritted teeth, she hissed:

 _“I didn’t just throw your brother into the sun. I bashed his fucking face in, and now, Rogers, I am going to do the very same to you. Know that this is_ far _less than what you deserve, but I will not have you doing to anyone what you did to me. Never again. You make me sick. I have never despised anyone, or anything, as much as I despise_ you. _You are, without a doubt, the vilest, most depraved, heartless monster I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Until I met you, I would never have even dreamed of wishing_ rape _upon someone else, but you are most certainly the exception. You see this knife? This blade? I like to think of it almost as a sword. Isn’t that how you referred to your_ pathetic excuse _for a cock while you were raping me? Yes. That’s right. I remember it. It’s seared into my_ fucking brain. _Every grunt. Every thrust. Every bruise. Yeah. You took something from me, Rogers. Something I can never get back. So now, I’m going to give you a taste of your own medicine.”_

She flipped him over roughly and bashed his head against the iron rim, and in one swift motion, pulled his trousers to his knees. Then, without hesitation, she drove the knife— blade first— into his colon. Never had she heard any man scream so loudly. She shoved him into the dark chute, where his shrieks of agony echoed within the metallic chamber, and soon they faded into an eerie silence.

With a heavy sigh, Emma sealed the hatch and shut off the suction. She then returned to the Helm, where she found the Queen watching the sun intently. Rogers’ body was drifting towards the sun far slower than Emma would have liked, but she supposed it would make the outcome that much more satisfying.

“What did you do to make him scream like that?” the Queen asked nonchalantly.

“I shoved his own knife up his ass.”

The Queen grimaced, but then chuckled darkly. “How,” she paused, _“creative.”_

She and Emma shared in a long span of rich laughter, but soon, they let out quiet sighs as they locked eyes. They then turned their attention to the baby, as he had begun to giggle as well. This brought soft smiles to both their faces. The Queen handed the boy over to Emma ever so gently.

“Here you are, Swan.”

Emma’s smile widened as she took the boy in her arms and began rocking him gently. She took a seat and hummed softly to him as she cradled his head against her chest, letting him listen to the sound of her heartbeat. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

“If only I could hold you with both hands,” she rasped, “I love you, Bug. I love you so damn much.”

The Queen brought a hand to the blonde’s shoulder. “Where to now, _Captain?”_

Emma looked at the woman with fiery determination. “Back to Drakken’haem, I suppose. I still have some unfinished business there.”


	29. The Sisters of the Grove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Triple update!!!

The freighter was nearly out of fuel when they landed on the nearest system. The computer identified it as _Fyr’haem—_ Home of the Fae— and Emma was wary about the whole ordeal. Regina had told her that the Fae weren’t exactly trustworthy. They weren’t evil, per se, just mischievous. Still, the Captain would remain cautious, lest the Fae try to ambush them. The moment Emma landed the ship, she spotted glowing orbs floating through the air around it. She assumed these were the Fae.

“What do we do?” asked the Queen.

“Don’t attack,” said Emma, “I’ve heard they don’t take too kindly to violence. They’re tricky little fuckers, but otherwise harmless. I say we put down our weapons and walk out of here slowly. We don’t wanna make them feel threatened.”

The Queen nodded. “Very well.”

Emma and the Queen exited the ship with caution. The Captain was holding the baby tightly to her chest, but he seemed entranced by the glowing orbs, as he was reaching out towards them with his tiny arms. The orbs came closer, pulsating and hovering before the trio. A woman’s voice rang out in Emma’s mind, as well as the Queen’s.

_“Why have you come here?”_

Emma swallowed. “Our ship was running low on fuel. We needed a place to land. We mean you no harm. We just want to go home. Please, will you help us refuel?”

There was a pause. _“State your name.”_

“My name is Emma Swan. I’m a Starship Captain.”

“And I am the clone of Queen Regina of Skráv Jangála.”

_“Do you not have a name of your own?”_

“I have only ever been called _the Queen,_ though Regina and I are not one in the same.”

_“Interesting. What of the child? Has he got a name?”_

“Not yet,” said Emma, “but I’ve been calling him _Bug.”_

_“How old is this child?”_

“Two days,” said the Captain.

_“And who is his father?”_

Emma hesitated. “A man called Rogers,” she said, “He— He forced himself on me.”

_“Apologies, Emma Swan. I can sense your pain. Do not worry. We will protect you.”_

Emma’s brows furrowed in confusion. “We?”

_“We are the Sisters of the Grove. It is our sworn duty to watch over these woods, and all that live within it. So long as you remain here, then we will keep you safe as well.”_

“Do you have any source of fuel?”

_“Not for your machine, I am afraid. There is no technology here. Only magic.”_

“Magic? Like crystal tears?”

_“That is correct. I take it you are familiar with their mystical properties?”_

“I, uh, sort of _make_ them.”

There was a long span of silence. _“You are an Astrellan?”_

Emma nodded. “I am. Though I didn’t know it until about nine months ago.”

_“Then you must come with us, Great One. We are your most loyal subjects.”_

“Huh? Subjects?”

_“Astrellans are sacred beings. The Sisters of the Grove have always worshipped your kind. It is an honor to be in your presence.”_

Emma blinked in surprise. “Wow, uh, thanks.”

She and the Queen followed after the Fae into the mystic Grove. The baby was still fixated on the glowing orbs. His mouth was agape, and he was continuing to reach out for them. Emma took his tiny hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. He began to babble nonsensically, making the Captain smile fondly at him. He started giggling when he heard his mother’s stomach roar with hunger.

 _“I sense you all are hungry,”_ came the woman’s voice, _“Come, and we shall provide food.”_

“Thank you,” said Emma, “We haven’t had much to eat these past nine months, being imprisoned and all.”

_“You were imprisoned?”_

“By that bastard, Rogers. We finally escaped just yesterday.”

_“And what became of this ‘Rogers?’”_

Emma’s jaw tightened. “I stuck a knife up his ass and shot him into the sun.”

_“I do not normally condone such violence, but for this, I must commend you. There are few things more egregious than what was done to you. You have my sympathy, Great One.”_

“Thank you,” the Captain said quietly.

\---

Once they’d had their fill, Emma and the Queen were led to a dwelling in the base of a hollow tree. Within it was a warm bed with a mountain of soft animal pelts and an array of wax candles flickering throughout the room. Emma sat back on the bed and opened her shirt, which she’d found in the freighter. She closed her eyes as the baby began to nurse. She looked up when she felt the bed dip down beside her. The Queen had taken a seat next to her and was smiling softly at the baby.

“Have you thought of a name yet?”

Emma shook her head. “I haven’t really had much time to just stop and think of any,” she said, “I’ve had too much on my mind.”

The Queen gave a small nod. “Understandable. Do you think we can trust the Fae?”

“I suppose so. I mean, they seem to respect me,” said Emma, “and they _did_ feed us, after all.”

“What are we going to do about the ship?”

“Maybe we could use some of those crystal tears to fuel it.”

“Do you really think that would work?”

Emma shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.”

\---

 _“I have sensed an unnatural aura emanating from the child,”_ said a pink sprite.

 _“What is it?”_ asked a yellow sprite.

The pink sprite hesitated. _“He is half Astrellan, half nightwalker.”_

_“What? He cannot remain here. He and the others must leave.”_

_“Why do you speak ill of the child?”_ came a voice. It was a blue sprite, much larger and brighter than the others.

_“Blue! Forgive us. We are just wary of the infant.”_

_“Whatever for?”_ asked the blue sprite, _“He is no threat to us. As you said, he is but an infant.”_

_“I understand, but he will not always be so. He will grow up, and he could very well kill us all.”_

_“He will be long gone by then, I assure you. The Great One has requested an abundance of crystal tears to help fuel her machine. Let us gather as much as we can.”_

_“Are you certain? Don’t you wish for her to stay?”_

_“Of course I do, but she is a free spirit. We cannot keep her here against her will. She is an Astrellan, far more powerful than all of us combined. Besides, she can never discover the Crystal Caves.”_

_“Blue is right,”_ said the yellow sprite, _“They must never learn the truth.”_


	30. Roni

Emma tossed and turned in her sleep, whimpering and mumbling incoherently as sweat poured down her face. Even in the darkness, the Queen could see that she was in distress. The brunette gently shook her awake.

“Emma,” murmured the Queen, “Emma, wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”

The Captain awoke with a sharp gasp, shooting up on the bed and looking around frantically.

_“Where’s the kid?”_

“He’s right here,” the Queen assured, gesturing to the small pile of pelts they’d laid out on the ground beside them, where the baby was sleeping soundly.

Emma slowly crawled out of the bed, going over to check on the boy, for fear that something was wrong. She sighed in immense relief when she discovered he was still breathing. She’d always heard of babies suddenly ceasing to breath, and only now that she was a mother did that thought truly terrify her. She wasn’t sure she would be able to handle it if she lost this precious baby. He was the one good thing to have come out of her nine months in captivity. Aside from befriending the Queen, of course. She leaned down and planted a soft kiss upon the baby’s head.

“I love you, Bug,” she whispered, “Hope you’re having sweet dreams.”

She watched him for a moment with a sad smile, not saying a word. She then turned and climbed back into bed, sighing heavily.

“Anything you’d like to talk about?” asked the Queen.

“I just want to get back to Drakken’haem,” replied the Captain, “I want everyone to know I’m okay.”

“Are you, though?”

Emma hesitated, looking at the brunette with obvious unease. “You want the short answer or the long answer?”

“Whichever you’re willing to share,” the Queen said softly.

“Long it is, then,” Emma said with a sigh, “I feel broken. Empty. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. Not after what Rogers did. I’ve never hated anyone as much as that monster. He took everything from me, yet at the same time, he gave me so much more. He gave me my kid. You probably think I’m insane, wanting to keep this baby after how he was conceived, but I don’t care about that. I love my kid. He’s mine. I made him. It might not have been consensual, but I won’t take my pain out on him. He did nothing wrong. He’s innocent. He needs me, and I need him. Does that make me crazy?”

“No,” murmured the Queen. She brought a hand to cover Emma’s. “It makes you brave. I think it takes real strength to love and nurture a child born in a situation like this. You don’t blame him for what Rogers did, and for that, I am proud of you. You are strong, Emma. Though they are few, you have more honor than anyone I have ever known.”

Emma squeezed her hand gently. “Thanks, Queenie,” she rasped, “I couldn’t have done all this without you.”

The brunette arched an eyebrow. _“Queenie?”_

“You need a name,” said Emma, “I mean a _real_ name. Not a title. And no, it can’t be ‘Regina.’ It has to be different, like Gemini.”

The Queen pondered this a moment. “Well then, how about _Roni?”_

Emma smiled. “Roni it is.”

Roni returned the smile and looked over at the sleeping baby. “Now we just need to come up with a name for Bug.”

\---

As the two women were murmuring to one another in the dark room, they were oblivious to the fact that the Fae were zipping through the trees towards the shimmering caves on the opposite end of the forest, far enough away that their whereabouts would not be discovered. They each flew into a separate cavern, decorated with a vast array of vibrant and colorful crystals of all shapes and sizes. Some were green. Some were yellow. Others pink. And of course, the colors were endless.

Regardless of their size and beauty, they were being hacked away by the axes swung by the enslaved dwarves, forced into a life of servitude under the Fae. One of the dwarves was called Grumpy, for he was just that. He had once been the most hopeful of them all. His name had, in fact, been _Dreamy._

He’d been convinced that he was in love with the Pink Fairy— the one called Nova— but when he confessed his love for her, she had laughed in his face and sent him back into the mines with a broken heart. Nova had shattered his very soul into a million pieces, just as he spent his days breaking up the shimmering crystals alongside his shackled brothers.

Now here he was, mining crystal tears and whistling a bittersweet tune with the others. Suddenly, they all stopped whistling when they sensed one of the Fae entering the cavern, and they began swinging their axes more quickly so as to bust up more of the large crystals. From the corner of his eye, Grumpy could see that it was the Blue Fairy. She changed from a sprite into her much larger form, placing her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes in disapproval.

“What is the meaning of this?”

This gave the dwarves pause. They all looked at her in confusion.

“Have we displeased you, Blue One?” asked a timid dwarf.

“Do you _honestly_ think I couldn’t hear you whistling?” the Blue Fairy snapped, “Do not let me catch you doing it again, or else.”

Grumpy grit his teeth and tightened his grip on his axe. “Or else _what?”_ he challenged.

The Blue Fairy glared hatefully at him and pointed to him with an accusatory finger. A surge of energy blasted from her fingertip and towards Grumpy, striking him in the heart and sending him flying through the air with a cry of pain. He landed roughly on the ground, still clutching his axe.

“Bitch,” he hissed, “Why aren’t we permitted to whistle? It’s not hurting anyone.”

“I find it insufferable,” the Blue Fairy said coldly, “and it distracts you from your work. Now get to it, _slave.”_

Grumpy glared daggers at her. “You’re a monster.”

“A monster, you say? And here I thought I was being merciful. If it’s a monster you want, then a monster you shall have.”

The Blue Fairy struck Grumpy a second time, though it did far more than zap his heart. Drawing raw power from the exposed cores of the crystal tears, she completely vaporized the mortified dwarf. The one called Grumpy was no more. It was as if he’d never even been there in the first place. The other dwarves looked on in utter horror at the space where their brother had been only moments ago. As they turned their attention to the Blue Fairy, they were even more unsettled by the lack of remorse in her eyes.

“Get back to work,” she said coldly, “and no more whistling, lest you wish to join your brother.”

She left, and the dwarves carried on in their work without so much as a sound.


	31. The Shadow

Emma was wandering aimlessly through the mystic Grove with the baby, admiring him more than the forest itself. He was such a beautiful child. The Captain had never been one to believe in angels, but now there wasn’t so much as a doubt in her mind that they existed. She was holding one in her arms. She looked down at him with a warm smile.

“God, you’re so cute. I really do need to give you a name, but I can’t think of the right one. I’m sorry, kid. I just want you to have a good name. Not something stupid, like _Dweezil._ Maybe David, like David Bowie, or Bruce, like _the Boss._ I promise you, Bug, I’ll take you with me to Earth one day. I think you’d like it there. You, me, Regina, Roni, and the rest of my crew. I can’t wait for you to meet them. I’m sure they’ll love you. Sometimes I do miss Earth. I wonder what it’s like these days. I’ve been gone almost sixteen years now. It would be about 2001, I think. Yeah.”

She started to say something else, but was cut off when she noticed a green glow in the baby’s eyes. They were drawn to something overhead. When Emma looked up, she saw a bright green orb hovering there. A woman’s voice rang out in her mind, sounding somewhat frantic.

 _“You need to get out of here, Miss,”_ the sprite warned.

Emma frowned in confusion. “Huh? Why? Have I done something wrong?”

_“No. You and your child are in danger.”_

Now the Captain was livid. “Excuse me? Is that a threat?”

_“No! I am trying to warn you! You must leave as soon as you can!”_

“What’s the danger?”

_“The Blue Fairy is trying to stall you. She has been lying to you. She doesn’t respect you. She only wants your crystal tears, so that she can take your raw power for herself. You cannot trust her. She may seem benevolent on the surface, but within her lies a terrible evil. The Blue Fairy is only attempting to keep you here for as long as she can. If you don’t believe me, then go to the Crystal Caves. If she finds out you are headed there, she will try to stop you. Please, Great One. Do not tell her that we spoke. If you do, she will not hesitate to destroy me. She is a most merciless being.”_

“O— Okay,” Emma said reluctantly, “but how am I supposed to get out of here without fuel?”

_“You must shed some of your tears, Great One. The abilities of crystal tears are limitless. You simply require a great deal of imagination.”_

“Trust me, I’ve got plenty of that,” said Emma.

 _“Excellent,”_ said the Green Fairy, _“Go now, to the Crystal Caves, and set the prisoners free.”_

“How do I get— wait, _what?”_

_“Apologies, Great One. I must go before the Blue Fairy catches us. She can never know that it was I who divulged this information.”_

The Green Fairy zipped away into the trees, and Emma was left dumbfounded. She looked down at the curious baby with a look of uncertainty, bringing him just a tad closer. He put a tiny hand on her cheek, making her smile despite her unease.

“Looks like things just got interesting, Bug,” she said, “What do you think?”

The baby just babbled nonsensically. Emma gave a soft chuckle and tapped his nose, which caused him to giggle and grasp at her finger with his tiny hands. She turned and began heading back to the large tree from which she had come.

“Come on, kid. I’ve gotta tell Roni.”

\---

 _“We need to get out of here,”_ said Roni.

“But what about the prisoners?”

Roni shook her head. “We have to worry about ourselves, Emma. What if there aren’t any prisoners? What if it’s all a trap?”

“But what if it isn’t?” Emma countered, “What if there really _are_ people trapped in there? Are we just gonna abandon them? Come on, Roni. We just spent the past nine months imprisoned in a cave. Don’t you think we should at least investigate? I guarantee you the people in that cave want out just as badly as we did. We can help them. We _have_ to help them. Please, Roni.”

The brunette hesitated, but sighed. “I suppose you’re right. If there truly are people trapped here, then I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least _attempt_ to save them. Very well, Emma. You stay here with Bug. I will look into the matter.”

“No,” Emma said firmly, “I’m going with you.”

“But it could be dangerous,” Roni protested, “What if something happens to the baby?”

“Anyone tries to hurt Bug, I’ll cut their _fucking throats out,”_ Emma hissed, “No one’s gonna take my kid from me. _No one.”_

Roni offered a sullen smile. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

Emma gave a curt nod. “Damn right.”

“Please, Swan, you mustn’t swear in front of the child.”

The blonde chuckled. “Sorry. I just get so angry, thinking someone’s gonna try ripping him from my arms.”

“I don’t think that will happen,” said Roni, “You displayed a great deal of strength back on Upir’haem. A strength unlike any I had ever seen before. Not just physical, of course. You didn’t give up hope that we would escape. You didn’t give up hope that Rogers would get what was coming to him. It was _you_ who got us out of there, Emma. All you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” said Emma, “It wasn’t just me. If it hadn’t been for Bug, I never would have had the resolve. That vampire tried taking my kid and I lost it. I got so angry that I _vaporized_ the guy. Without the baby, I don’t think I would have ever been capable of something like that. I’ve never been angrier than in that moment, not even when I was stabbing Rogers. He took something from me that I can never get back, but taking my kid? That’s a far greater sin, if you ask me. The only reason I didn’t take my life in that _godforsaken_ cell is because I had one growing inside me. I’ve never appreciated life more than I do right now.”

She didn’t realize she was crying until Roni reached up to wipe away her tears.

“Oh, Emma,” rasped the brunette, “I’m so proud of you. You see? This is the kind of strength I was talking about.”

\---

There was no whistling within the cave. Only the sound of axes chipping away at the large crystals lining the cavern walls. The dwarves were currently under the watchful eye of the Pink Fairy, with whom their now-deceased brother had been madly in love. Why that was, they could not even begin to fathom. Next to the Blue Fairy, she was the cruelest one of all. The dwarves all jumped in alarm when they heard a loud explosion somewhere in the distance. Even the Pink Fairy was startled by this. She frowned and hovered over to the mouth of the cave, looking around for whatever had caused it, but found nothing.

“Stay where you are, and don’t even _think_ about taking a break!” she commanded.

And with that, she flew away through the trees, leaving the dwarves to their own devices. They reluctantly carried on with their work, not knowing when she would return, but soon, they paused again, for they could sense an unfamiliar presence growing closer to the cavern. A tall woman with a head of gold came into view, carrying a curious infant. Behind her was a brunette with lilac skin and deep, purple eyes.

“Are you being held prisoner?” asked the blonde.

The dwarves looked to one another with uncertainty, but they all gave small nods of confirmation.

“They force us to mine the crystal tears,” came the voice of a timid dwarf.

The blonde frowned. “What’s your name?” she asked him.

“Bashful.”

“How long have you been prisoners here?”

“Not prisoners,” said Bashful, “Slaves. We’ve been here all our lives. It’s all we’ve ever known.”

A pained look came over the blonde’s face. “Jesus. This is sick. I need you all to come with us. We have a freighter. We can get you out of here.”

The dwarves’ eyes widened in astonishment. They whispered amongst themselves in wonder, but stepped towards the blonde with hopeful expressions.

“What is your name?” asked Bashful, “We must know the name of our Savior.”

“Emma Swan,” replied the blonde, “I’m a Captain. I just spent nine months in a prison cell on Upir’haem. I’m not about to leave without getting you your freedom.”

“How did you find us? The Blue Fairy would never allow anyone to enter the Crystal Caves.”

 _“Right you are,_ slave.”

Everyone gasped and looked to find none other than the Blue Fairy standing alongside the Pink and Yellow Fairy at the mouth of the cavern, all in their larger forms.

“Do enlighten us, _oh Great one,”_ she said sarcastically, “as to how you knew to come here.”

Emma’s jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed. “Just a hunch.”

Roni bared her teeth at the Blue Fairy in anger. “Why would you enslave these people?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We need them to mine the crystal tears.”

“Why not just do it yourself?” Emma snapped, “Or at the very least, _pay them?”_

The Blue Fairy laughed. “Dwarves are lesser beings! They always have been! We Fae are superior. We have magic.”

“Only because you force other people to get it for you, you evil bitch!” shouted Emma, “You’re a monster!”

The Blue Fairy’s expression grew cold. “The last person to call me that no longer exists,” she said darkly, “Apologize, and I will not vaporize you.”

Emma scoffed. “What happened to Astrellans being _sacred?”_

“Your kind is infinite,” said the Blue Fairy, “and therefore, expendable!”

She threw her hand forward, drawing forth the power of the crystal tears, but she was mortified to discover that all that raw energy was instead being absorbed into Emma.

The Captain’s eyes were glowing pure white, and her body was glistening like the sun. She held her baby close to her and she spoke, though it sounded as though thousands of people were speaking in unison.

_“We will not stand for this. We are the Original Beings. We existed before any other species. We have many names. You call us Astrellans. Living Stars. The Great Ones. We are many, yet we are also one. We are a collective. Though we inhabit many forms, we share a single conscience. Our tears, as you call them, inhabit this world and many others like it. These crystals are our remains. These caves are our tombs. You rob our graves and desecrate the remains of our kind for your own selfish desires. You abuse our power. You take what is beautiful and pure, and you corrupt it into something ugly and grotesque.”_

“What are you?!” shouted the Blue Fairy.

_“Silence! You fail to realize that you have killed no one. Our power can do many things, but murder is not one of them. What you have done is far worse. You have sent their minds and bodies to another place. Another time. Somewhere in this vast universe, at some point in time, those you thought dead are leading different lives, not knowing who they are or where they came from. That is a fate worse than death— and now you shall suffer the consequences of your abhorrent actions. Let the spirit of the Black Fairy leave your mortal shell, and may you live your new life in peace.”_

“NO! I will not be defeated by the likes of you!”

Emma’s hand shot forward, and from her fingertips, raw energy surged towards the Blue Fairy, whose eyes were now pitch-black. Her body began to flicker and convulse as a dark shadow emerged from her pale flesh. She let out a blood-curdling scream of fury and pain before falling to the floor, suddenly silent. The Shadow had white eyes similar to Emma’s, though they held a murderous gleam.

“What is that thing?!” shouted Roni.

 _“I am the Black Fairy,”_ came the hauntingly-deep voice of the Shadow, _“I was cursed eons ago, by you_ godforsaken Astrellans, _doomed to spend eternity without flesh! I took over the Blue Fairy so that I could take command of the others. I longed to gather enough power from the crystal tears to reconstruct my body, but I have been unsuccessful thus far. Now that you have arrived, Astrellan, I shall take your body for myself!”_

She darted towards the Astrellan in a desperate attempt to usurp the blonde’s powerful soul, but to her horror, the Shadow found herself enveloped in a torrent of raw star-power. In the mere blink of an eye, the light faded, revealing pitch darkness. She was left shocked upon realizing she was in some sort of prison. It was white. Everything was white. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the strange, flickering light overhead. Was this the afterlife? Had her soul finally moved on? She looked around, panicked, when she heard voices outside the door.

She shot up into the light, watching from above as a deceased boy was rolled in on some sort of metal cart. There was something oddly familiar about the child, but she couldn’t quite place him. Regardless, when no one was looking, the Shadow’s essence sank into his frail body. No soul meant no life, and no life meant his body was hers for the taking. She could feel the raw power flowing out of him in waves. It wasn’t quite star-power, but it was equally as intoxicating.

 _‘Yes,’_ she thought, _‘This body will do nicely.’_

\---

“Where did she go?” asked Roni.

Emma’s eyes faded back to their usual green, and she struggled to maintain her balance. Thankfully, she had Roni there to support her. She brought a hand to her throbbing head.

“I don’t know. It’s fuzzy now, but I think I saw some kind of hospital room. There was a boy on a gurney. I felt like I knew him somehow, but I swear I’ve never seen him before. I— I think he was _dead.”_

Roni looked at her with concern. “Where was this place?”

“Earth,” said Emma, “but it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like the Earth I remember. I think maybe it was— I don’t know— some sort of alternate universe?”

Roni shook her head. “There is but one universe. However, there are an infinite number of dimensions within it.”

“So there’s another me out there?”

“There are infinite versions of you, just as there are of Regina and I. I mean, for all I know, I could be a _Goddess_ somewhere. Wouldn’t that be something?”

Emma chuckled. “I don’t know, Roni. I see you as more of a bartender.”

Roni scoffed. “I don’t know the first thing about mixing drinks.”

A soft smile graced the Captain’s lips. “If you can dream it, then anything is possible.”


	32. Return to Drakken'haem

With all the dwarves aboard the freighter, Emma was just about to put it into launch. She’d gathered up enough crystal tears from the cavern to fuel the ship. Roni was sitting alongside her, holding the baby, who was fixated on something outside. The two women followed his curious gaze to the glowing green orb just on the other side of the glass.

“It’s the Green Fairy,” said Emma, “I’m gonna let her in.”

“Are you sure we can trust her?”

Emma nodded. “She’s the one who tipped me off about the dwarves.”

She pushed the button to open up the hatch, allowing the Green Fairy into the freighter. The fairy bowed to her respectfully, whizzing around her and Roni.

“Welcome aboard,” the Captain said with a smile.

_“I am forever in your debt, Great One. I will do all that I can to prove myself to you.”_

Emma shook her head. “You don’t have to do any of that. You don’t need to prove yourself to me, or whatever.”

_“Very well, but I fear I may not find peace until I do.”_

“Alright, then,” said Emma, “What’s your name?”

_“Most know me as the Green Fairy, but my true name is Tinkerbell.”_

“Okay, Tinkerbell. Any place in particular you’d like to go?”

_“Just anywhere but here.”_

Emma smirked. “To Drakken’haem, then.”

\---

 _Nine months, six days, and eight hours._ That was how long the Captain had been missing. That was how long the crew of the Apollo had been searching for her. They scoured every inch of Drakken’haem— twice over— as well as the surrounding systems, but their efforts had been in vain. They all were beginning to lose hope. All of them except for Lilith, of course. Oddly enough, she seemed to have held onto it the longest.

Kragg appeared in the courtyard and knelt respectfully before Lilith as she sat upon her black throne, brooding over the disappearance of her friend.

“Apologies, Sovereign,” said the warrior, “Freighter has landed.”

Lilith frowned. “A freighter? No freighters ever come here,” she said, “and I never requested any sort of delivery.” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she rose from her seat. “I will accompany you. I must see this for myself.”

Kragg bowed his head. “Yes, Sovereign.”

Lilith followed the warrior out of the courtyard and through the fortress gates, where she was stunned to find a colossal freighter with a coat of forest-green paint, absolutely reeking of crystal tears. Her frown deepened as the ship’s hatch began to open. Her warriors aimed their spears as a figure emerged, but to their surprise, it was a dwarf. Followed by a second dwarf. Then a third. Soon, there was at least a dozen of them, staring up at the Draconians with equal bewilderment.

“Who are you?” Lilith asked stoically, “Why have you come here?”

“We were enslaved on Fyr’haem,” said one of the dwarves, “but the Savior set us free.”

Lilith arched an eyebrow. “The Savior?”

“The Golden One. The Great One.”

Lilith just shook her head in confusion. “I don’t know who you’re talking about,” she said, “Why have you landed here? I don’t recall making a request for cargo, and since when do freighters deliver in the Forbidden Regions? Which one of you is in charge?”

 _“I am,”_ came a voice.

Lilith’s eyes grew wide with awe. She knew that voice. It had plagued her thoughts every day for the past nine months. Could it be? Had the Captain finally returned? Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the blonde emerge from the ship.

But Emma wasn’t alone.

Her stomach was visibly swollen, even under her green shirt. Even more shocking was the baby in her arms, but what left Lilith truly speechless was the purple-eyed brunette following close behind the Captain. On the brunette’s shoulder was a glowing green orb.

“Emma! Don’t move!”

The Captain froze, looking confused. “What?”

“Behind you!” “Huh? Oh! No, no, it’s okay!”

_“…What?”_

“This is Roni,” said Emma, “She’s my friend.”

Lilith looked at her incredulously. “She _kidnapped_ you!”

“I’m aware,” replied the Captain, “but that’s all in the past now. I promise, you don’t have to worry about her anymore. She’s on our side.”

“How can you be so sure?” asked Lilith.

A sad smile graced Emma’s lips. “We just spent nine months locked up together in a prison cell,” she said, “and she helped me deliver my kid.”

The Sovereign was dumbfounded. “You mean that’s _your_ kid?”

“Yep.”

“What’s his name?”

“Haven’t thought of one yet.”

“Who’s the father?”

A look of dread fell over Emma’s face. “Let’s not talk about that right now.”

Lilith just nodded. “Alright. You said you were locked in a cell? Where?”

“Upir’haem,” said Emma, “We were trapped in Blood Mountain. That’s where the kid was born.”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed as they locked onto Roni. “You wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for _her,”_ she said bitterly.

“No,” Emma said defensively, “Don’t blame her for this. I can’t say she was justified in kidnapping me, but she’s done more than enough to make up for it. You’re just gonna have to trust me on that, Lilith. Please try to understand. I asked her to be my kid’s godmother.”

“Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

“Emma, _why?_ Why would you trust the woman who kidnapped you?”

“Because everyone deserves a second chance,” said Emma, “and like I said, she’s done more than enough to redeem herself in my book. So tell your warriors to back off. _Please.”_

Lilith was hesitant, but she let out a heavy sigh, uttering something in her harsh, Draconian tongue. Her warriors looked around at one another in obvious confusion, but reluctantly obeyed. The dwarves parted as Emma and Roni stepped through, approaching Lilith slowly. The Sovereign’s eyes were locked on the purple-eyed clone, but were soon drawn to Emma as the woman spoke.

“So,” said the blonde, “How does it feel, being in charge of an entire planet?”

Lilith gave a tight smile. “Stressful.”

Emma chuckled. “No kidding.”

The Sovereign’s eyes fell upon the baby as he began reaching out to her. Her smile became genuine when she saw the joyous gleam in his eyes. She felt her heart swell. She’d always adored children. She just had the tendency to loathe the people they became. She glanced back up at Emma with a certain longing in her eyes. “May I?” she asked softly. Emma smiled and offered a small nod, handing the child carefully over to Lilith. She watched the baby’s expression closely. He seemed enamored by the Sovereign, reaching up to touch her face and grasp at her hair. She let out a quiet chuckle.

“Hello, little one,” she murmured, “My name is Lilith. Welcome to Drakken’haem.”

The baby then noticed the pink crystal shard hanging from Lilith’s neck and reached for it. The Sovereign’s smile widened as he took it in his tiny hands. Her smile soon became a look of pure wonder as the crystal began to glow.

“It’s reacting to him,” she said, clearly mystified, “I had no idea Astrellans could have children. He must be truly special. I see potential in him. He’s got a spark in his eyes, just like you, Em—”

She paused when she locked eyes with the Captain. The spark was no longer there.


	33. Tension

Red was holding the baby gently in her arms, gushing over his cherubic features and grinning down at him as he babbled to her.

“Gods, he is just the cutest!”

Baelfire smiled as he watched this interaction. He approached slowly, peering curiously over Red’s shoulder.

“Hey, you’re right,” he said, “How’s it going, little man? My name’s Baelfire, but you can call me Uncle B.”

Red arched an eyebrow at him. _“Uncle B?_ Seriously?”

“I think it makes me sound cool,” said Baelfire, “I’ve always wanted to be the cool uncle, but I’m an only child. Now I finally have the chance.”

“Well then I suppose I could be Aunt Red.”

“Why not _Aunt Ruby?”_ asked Baelfire, “Sounds a lot cuter, if you ask me.”

Red smiled as she turned back to the baby. “Fair enough. Ruby it is, then. Now we just need Emma to come up with a name for this little guy.”

\---

Lilith entered the Apollo and was greeted by August’s flickering face. _“Hello, Lilith.”_

The Sovereign offered a tight smile. “Hey, August. Is Emma here?”

_“She’s in her quarters.”_

“Is she alone?”

_“No.”_

“Let me guess. She’s with the clone.”

It wasn’t a question, but August nodded anyhow.

_“That is correct.”_

Lilith just sighed and headed to the Captain’s quarters, knocking on the metallic door reluctantly. “Emma?”

_“Yeah?”_

“Can I come in? We need to talk.”

Emma hesitated. _“Uh, sure thing.”_

The door slid open and Lilith started to step inside, but she paused when she saw the Queen’s clone sitting on the edge of Emma’s bed, where the blonde was resting. Her eyes narrowed as they locked with the clone’s.

Emma frowned when she noticed the way Lilith was looking at Roni, and she knew then that this was likely what they would be discussing. She certainly wasn’t looking forward to it. She could already feel a headache coming on. The last thing she needed was to make it even worse.

“Roni, will you give us a minute?” she asked with a groan, clutching at her aching head.

Roni looked to her with uncertainty. “Are you sure? Do you need any medication?”

“I’ll be fine,” said Emma, though even _she_ didn’t think she sounded very convincing.

Roni left the room hesitantly, frowning when she saw the glare Lilith was giving her on the way out. If looks could kill, she would certainly have been dead by now. She hated to leave Emma alone, but she knew she needed to respect her friend’s wishes. She supposed she had nothing better to do than check up on the baby, as he was in the care of Emma’s crewmates. Hopefully they wouldn’t object to her presence the way the Sovereign was. The door slid shut behind her, blocking out any and all sound coming from within the room.

Once Roni was gone, Lilith folded her arms and looked over at Emma with obvious disapproval. Seeing this made the Captain frown.

“I already know what you’re gonna say, Lilith,” Emma said, “and I _really_ don’t want to hear it. Not again.”

“She’s a _threat,_ Emma. She was sent here for the sole purpose of kidnapping you! You were missing for nine months! _Nine months!_ And now suddenly you’re best friends? What happened to you? Were you brainwashed? And just how did you wind up with a kid? I never imagined you would let some man knock you—”

Now the Captain was glaring at her with pure hatred. “Don’t you _dare_ finish that sentence.”

Again, Lilith sighed. “Just tell me what happened, Emma. Please. Do you have any idea how worried we were? We were all beginning to worry that you might be dead, but here you are, suddenly arriving on a freighter with a bunch of dwarves, a fairy, your _kidnapper,_ and now a _baby._ Explain it to me, will you? Because I’m not making sense of any of it.”

Emma turned away with unshed tears glistening in her eyes. “After Roni took me, she told me she had originally planned to bring me to Gemini— my clone— but someone else hired her to deliver me to them instead. We wound up on Upir’haem, and I learned that her new employer was a man called Rogers. He was Killian Jones’ twin brother.”

She hesitated, struggling not to break down into tears.

“He raped me, Lilith. He raped me and he got me pregnant.”

Lilith stared at her in utter horror. “You— oh, Emma— oh _Gods._ Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Have you really gone this long without a psych evaluation?”

Emma’s jaw tightened. “I don’t need any _evaluation,”_ she snapped, “Roni was the only one there for me. She thought she was getting paid and had every intention to leave me there, but Rogers betrayed her and threw her in the cell with me. We spent nine months in there together. She comforted me when I needed it most. She held me at night so I wouldn’t get cold. She helped deliver my baby. She’s not perfect— hell, none of us are— but she’s got good in her. She might not be Regina, but that’s okay. To me, she’s Roni. She’s Roni, and she’s my friend. So if you don’t like it, too bad, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she will not turn her back on me or the kid.”

“She may not turn her back on you,” said Lilith, “but what happens when you turn your back on _her?”_

“I won’t do that to her. We’ve been through too much.”

Lilith hesitated a moment. “Emma, I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to tell me the truth.”

Emma just gave a small nod. “Okay,” she said softly.

Lilith regarded her with an unreadable expression. “Have you slept with her?”

“No.”

“Have you ever wanted to? Be honest.”

Emma hesitated. “I have considered it,” she said quietly, “but I wouldn’t do that to Regina. Besides, I— I don’t know if I can ever allow anyone to touch me again. Maybe not even her. Even after all this time, I still feel disgusted with myself. If I hadn’t been pregnant— if I wasn’t a mother— I know I would have ended it all the moment I was tossed back in that damned cell, but now I’ve got a kid to look after, and I’m not about to abandon him in this sick universe. I want— no, I _need_ to be there for him.”

“That’s very noble of you, Emma,” said Lilith, “I wasn’t sure when I was going to tell you this, but I suppose now is as good a time as any.” She hesitated. “I’m going to have a child of my own.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Y— You’re pregnant?”

Lilith just nodded, offering a small smile.

“How long have you known?”

“About a month now.”

“Who’s the father?”

“His name is Thargarn,” said Lilith, “He’s a warrior, but also a bard, and a great one, at that. We grew up together in the Lotan village. He’s always had feelings for me, and ever since I left, I realized the feeling was mutual. I’d like you to meet him sometime. He’s a very kind man. He’s not like most Draconians. A real romantic, you might say. He likes to write poetry for me.”

A genuine smile graced Emma’s lips. “I’m happy for you, Lilith. I hope he treats you right.”

“He’s been good to me. No. He’s been great. I know he doesn’t just see me as the Sovereign. He sees me as Lilith— _just Lilith—_ and that’s enough for me.”

“So, do you know the baby’s gender?”

Lilith shook her head. “No,” she said, “but it doesn’t matter. I’ll love them no matter what.”

“That’s how I was before the baby was born. Speaking of which, I need to get him back from Red. It’s not that I don’t trust her. I just can’t bear the thought of losing him.”

“Don’t worry, Emma. Nothing will happen to your kid. I promise.”

Lilith followed the Captain out of the room and towards the Helm, where Red was standing next to Baelfire, holding the baby rather defensively as they both glared at Roni.

Emma frowned. “What’s going on?”

“She said she wanted to hold the baby, but I’m not about to hand him over to a _kidnapper.”_

The Captain grit her teeth. “Red, please, let’s be civil. We need to put this whole ‘kidnapping’ thing behind us, alright? Roni’s my friend. Let her hold the baby.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Emma said firmly, “We’re all going to have to get along, and the first step is putting the past where it belongs. In the past.”

Red and Baelfire looked to one another with uncertainty, but the scarlet-skinned woman reluctantly handed the squirming baby over to the Queen’s clone. They watched Roni’s every move as she cradled the child in her arms, holding him ever so gently. A wide smile made its way across her lilac face when he reached up and touched her chin with his tiny fingers.

“Look at you,” she cooed, “You look just like your mother, little one.”

Emma approached slowly, and as she did, the baby began reaching out to her instead. Roni was clearly reluctant to hand him over, but did so anyway, not wishing to keep him from his mother. The brunette followed after Emma without a word. They stepped into the Captain’s quarters and once the door slid shut, Roni let out a heavy sigh.

“I fear they will never come to accept me,” the clone said, hugging herself tightly.

Sensing her friend’s insecurity, Emma sat down on the edge of the bed with the baby and patted the space next to her, inviting the brunette to take a seat. Roni was quick to comply.

“Don’t worry about what they think, Roni. You’re my friend. You’re Bug’s godmother. That’s all they need to know. What you were is irrelevant. It’s who you are now that truly matters.”

Roni placed a hand on Emma’s shoulder and offered a sad smile. “Thank you, Emma,” she murmured.

The brunette then leaned in, and before Emma could even think to react, she felt the woman’s lips brush lightly against hers, silently seeking permission. Emma was speechless. She could do nothing but stare back at Roni in awe. In the nine months they’d known each other, Roni had never once tried to kiss her.

Finally, she found her voice. “Roni, I—”

The brunette was quick to cut her off. “No. I’m sorry, Emma. I should not have done that. I don’t know what came over me.”

Roni stood up to leave, but the Captain took hold of her wrist, stopping her. She looked back at the blonde with a mix of confusion and remorse.

“It’s okay,” Emma said softly, “It was a nice gesture.” She paused. “But it can never happen again.”


	34. Henry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but *very* important!

_The clone came stumbling out of the tank with glowing green liquid dripping from her lilac skin. Her deep purple eyes locked with those of the blonde standing over her. They were red like blood and fury. They terrified her. The clone bared her teeth at the golden-haired one in primal rage, pushing herself up off the floor and ripping the breathing apparatus from her face. She took a harsh and heavy breath, letting the cool, fresh air fill her lungs. She could feel two hearts pounding away in her chest. She struggled to stand, but was able to maintain her balance._

_“Welcome,” said the red-eyed one, “My name is Gemini, but you may call me ‘Gem.’”_

_The clone just stared back at her with confusion and uncertainty. Gemini let out a sigh of frustration._

_“Gem,” she said again, “That is my name, but yours shall be ‘the Queen.’ You are to replace the one known as Regina. It was her blood that spawned you. Her blood, which I spilled when I cut her with my blade. She is in hiding now, but soon she will attempt to flee in her ship, and when she does, we will shoot her out of the sky.”_

_Gemini stepped closer to the clone, who tried to back away, but was grabbed roughly by the hair and pulled into a dominating kiss. The brunette attempted to push Gemini away, but the blonde was much too strong. Finally, the red-eyed woman pulled back, allowing the clone to breathe._

_“You certainly are beautiful. Look at you. Such perfect skin. Yes, you will do nicely. Both as my creation and as my slave. I have a task for you. You must go to Drakken’haem, where Emma Swan and her crew reside. You will disguise yourself as Queen Regina and lure Captain Swan to you. Once you have her, you must bring her to me. After that, I will pay you handsomely for your efforts.”_

_The clone soon found herself donning a pair of tight leather pants, a matching black jacket, and a dark cloak with a hood. The red-eyed one applied silver paint to the left side of her face, mimicking the shape of a fearsome dragon. So, too, did she receive a pair of transparent discs to cover her eyes. They changed her eyes from deep purple to a rich brown to match Regina’s._

_“There. Now you do look just like her.”_

Roni awoke with a gasp, startling Emma as well as the baby, who began to fuss. Emma held him close to her and rocked him gently as she looked over at her friend in obvious concern.

“Roni? You okay?”

The brunette hesitated. “I— I was having a vision,” she said quietly.

“You mean a dream?”

“No. A memory,” Roni murmured, “of when I was born. She was the first thing I saw. Gemini, I mean.”

She looked down when she noticed her loose braid draped over her shoulder and her eyes widened in what looked like alarm. She suddenly got up and went to the compartment where Emma’s weapons were stored away. She retrieved a knife and brought it to the back of her neck where her braid began.

Emma frowned. “Roni, what are you—”

In one swift motion, the brunette cut through her dark braid with the knife, and her hair fell over her ears in frazzled curls. She turned, slowly and silently, and looked to Emma with tears slipping down her cheeks.

“She told me I looked just like Regina. She wanted me to be Regina. That was why she made me play the part. I was her slave. She wanted me to be a plaything for her. Something she could use. That was why I ran. I’m terrified of her, Emma. She did to me what Rogers did to you, but at the time, I didn’t realize it. She told me my sole purpose in life was to serve her, and I believed her. Still, it felt wrong, but I was convinced I had no right to fight back. She had me brainwashed. I was supposed to pleasure her and serve as her puppet. I felt violated, but I did nothing to stop her. I was— I am— afraid. You are the first person to truly accept me, Emma. I feel drawn to you because you remind me of her, yet you are everything she isn’t. You are everything I wish she was. I love you, Emma Swan. I know that I can never be the Regina you want, but I do love you with all my heart. _Both of them.”_

Her grip on the severed braid tightened.

“And now I am Roni. Not Regina. Not the Queen. Not Gemini’s puppet. Just Roni,” she said, “and I couldn’t be happier than I am right now, knowing that I you still see me as your friend, even after all the things I’ve done. It astounds me how you could find it in yourself to forgive me. I am not a good person, Emma, but I am doing the best that I can, and I think that is enough.”

Emma slowly stood up and walked over to the tearful brunette, touching her hair ever so gently, before taking hold of her hand in which the braid was held. Their eyes locked, and Emma could see the sincerity shimmering in the troubled woman’s soul. The Captain offered only the faintest hint of a smile, but it, too, was enough.

“I forgave you because you deserved it,” Emma said softly, “I wish you had told me what Gemini did. Then I could have comforted you the way you did with me.” She squeezed the brunette’s hand gently. “Come on. There’s still time.”

Roni went with Emma back to the bed, sitting alongside one another in comfortable silence. She leaned her head on the Captain’s shoulder and looked down at the curious baby staring up at her. A smile crept its way onto her lips when she saw this. She set her braid in her lap and brought a finger towards him, which he was quick to grab.

“If only I could have a child of my own.”

“Would that make you happy?” asked Emma.

“I believe so,” said Roni, “but for now, I am content to simply be his godmother.” She paused a moment. “Emma?”

“Hm?”

“You really should give him a name.”

Emma sighed. “I know. I’ve been meaning to tell you about that.”

“What? Have you picked one?”

“I think so,” said the Captain, “Growing up, I knew that if I ever had a kid, I would want to name him after my father, but I don’t actually have a father, so I’ve chosen the next best thing.”

“Which is?”

“Regina’s father. I never knew him, but she loved him dearly,” Emma said, stroking the baby’s head gently, _“Henry._ That was her father’s name— and now it’s my kid’s. Henry. _Henry Swan.”_


	35. Van Halen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J'karr-- the language spoken on Ae'jrabbi (Agrabah); pronounced 'yuh-car.'
> 
> Rae'jinha-- Draconian form of Regina; pronounced 'ray-he-nuh'

The cloaked figure made their way through the bustling marketplace, donning a simple yet eerie white mask beneath a dark hood. No one seemed to pay them any mind. They glanced around at all the different people browsing the stands, bargaining for fresh fruit and marveling over the finest jewels. The hooded figure cared for none of that. Their only concern was making it through the square and across the city to the barracks.

At long last, they reached their destination, but were stopped by a burly guard sporting a long, curved blade at the hilt.

 _“Who goes there?”_ the man asked in his harsh, guttural tongue.

The hooded figure was admittedly a bit rusty when it came to speaking J’karr, but the mask altered their voice to sound much deeper than it truly was, and made their pronunciation decent enough.

 _“I have come to purchase a vessel,”_ they said, _“from the one known as_ Jafar.”

The guard’s dark eyes narrowed. _“State your name.”_

 _“I am called_ Van Halen.”

The guard ordered the masked stranger to wait outside while he sought permission from his master. It wasn’t long before he returned, still looking displeased.

 _“Come,”_ he grunted, _“My master will speak to you now.”_

Inside the building, the hooded figure was met by a tall man with dark robes and a golden staff in the shape of a vicious serpent. Upon his shoulder was a red bird. He regarded the stranger with mild intrigue.

 _“Well, well,”_ he said, _“I am told you are here to purchase one of my ships. I should warn you, the price is high.”_

The masked stranger just nodded. “I have brought with me a holo-card, containing seventeen-thousand units.”

 _“Is that so?”_ asked Jafar, _“And where, pray tell, did you find such a large sum?”_

 _“The Capital,”_ replied the stranger, _“I took it during the Evacuation and fled here on an escape vessel. I do hope this will be enough for a starship.”_

Jafar grinned. _“Yes,”_ he said, _“Yes, it most certainly will. Pleasure doing business with you.”_

The masked stranger handed over the blue holo-card and Jafar opened the large doorway, which led into a colossal hangar where a display of vibrant, colorful starships of various shapes and sizes.

 _“The black transporter was sold to me by a Nuavarian arms dealer called Pan. I think you will find it to your liking. I call it_ the Scorpion.”

_“I trust my payment was sufficient enough?”_

_“Indeed it was,”_ said Jafar, _“What did you say your name was?”_

_“Van Halen.”_

_“Are you sure about that,”_ the bearded man paused, “Queen Regina?”

The masked figure turned quickly, gasping just as Jafar aimed his staff at them and fired red laser beams from the serpent’s eyes.

 _“Did you really think you could fool me that easily,_ Your Majesty?”

The lasers struck the white mask, cracking it in two. It fell to the ground, revealing the scarred and bruised face of the Queen. She pulled a gun on the black-clad man and fired back at him, intending to hit him between the eyes but instead blew the scarlet bird off of his shoulder, leaving only a few singed feathers behind.

Jafar’s eyes widened in horror as he looked at the space where the bird had been. When he turned back to the Queen, however, he was immediately met with a hot blast of energy, melting his skull in a fraction of a second. His body collapsed to the floor at the Queen’s feet, and she swiftly grabbed his golden staff before rushing onto the Scorpion.

“Good riddance,” she muttered.

She sealed the hatch once she was aboard and went straight for the control panel, locating the AI port and inserting a small silver disc which she retrieved from her black satchel. Within seconds, the holographic face of Ziggy flickered to life with a smile.

_“It’s good to see you again, Your Majesty. How long have I been in hibernation?”_

“Eight months, I’m afraid. I was stranded in the Capital for a while, but I finally managed to sneak aboard one of Gemini’s freighters and hitch a ride here in an escape vessel.”

_“And what became of Captain Swan?”_

“I sent her and her crew to Drakken’haem. I imagine she is none too happy with me, which is why I must go to her. I need to make amends. I need to tell her the truth about who she really is.”

_“Do you think she will forgive you?”_

Regina sighed. “It is doubtful,” she said, “but I certainly hope so.”

\---

It took three days to reach Drakken’haem. The planet had no teleportation docks, so Regina had to pilot the ship there manually. She felt it was good for her, as she hadn’t actually piloted a starship in nearly seventy years. However, her desire to reunite with Emma was overwhelming, and she was growing increasingly impatient.

Finally, on the third day, the Scorpion landed in front of the Sovereign’s Fortress. The moment it did, a horde of angry Draconian warriors surrounded it with their spears aimed defensively. The hatch slowly opened and out stepped a hooded figure with their hands raised so as to show that they were unarmed. One of the warriors, a blue-skinned Draconian, called out to the stranger in his harsh, raspy tongue.

_“Why do you come here? Put down your hood!”_

The stranger did so slowly, revealing a woman with long, dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a lilac face with a silver dragon running up along the left side. The Draconians were visibly taken aback, murmuring to one another in their serpentine language.

 _“I am Regina, Queen of Misthaven. I come in peace,”_ the brunette said to them in their native tongue.

 _“Rae’jinha,”_ the blue warrior grunted, _“Imposter.”_

Regina frowned. “Excuse me?”

 _“Take her away!”_ shouted the blue warrior. 

_“What?!_ No! I am a Queen! I have come to seek audience with your Sovereign!”

The warriors apprehended her and began dragging her towards the Fortress. She struggled to break free, but they were much too strong for her. She demanded to be released, insisting that she was no imposter. They just wouldn’t listen. She soon found herself shackled in a dark, dreary dungeon, alone and afraid. What was going on here? Had someone been impersonating her? How could that be? And if so, wouldn’t Emma be able to tell that it wasn’t really her?

She wasn’t sure how long she was down there. A few hours, maybe? Perhaps days, even? All she knew was that by the time she received her first visitor, she was on the verge of collapsing from starvation and dehydration. She hadn’t eaten in nearly a week, and it had been days since she’d had water.

 _“Hello, Regina,”_ came a voice.

The brunette’s head shot up and she let out a gasp as she found herself staring into the serpentine eyes of the woman she once knew as her friend.

“Mal,” she whispered, “What’s going on here? I heard something about an imposter. Was someone attempting to impersonate me?”

Maleficent hesitated. “It is far more than _impersonation,_ Regina. You have a clone, almost identical to you, save for her eyes. She kidnapped Emma Swan and they both disappeared for nine months. They only returned a few weeks ago—”

Regina’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets. “I have a _clone?!_ How is that possible?”

The former-Sovereign shook her head. “Alas, I do not know,” she replied, “but there is something else you should know. Emma found out what was on the disk. She knows what she really is, Regina. She had Lilith sneak into my room and steal it for her. However, that is the least concerning thing.”

She met the Queen’s gaze with a look of unease.

“Maleficent? What is it?”

“When Emma returned with the clone, she had a child. She’s a mother, Regina. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy.”

“What?” the brunette rasped, “Emma has a _son?_ How can that be?”

A look of dread masked the blonde’s face. “It is not my place to say,” Maleficent told her, “You will have to ask her yourself. I should warn you, she has taken a strong liking to your clone. The two are close friends. They are inseparable. She even declared the woman her child’s godmother.”

Regina felt her heart sink. Tears streaked her scarred face.

“Has she forgotten me so easily? Has she replaced me? Am I nothing to her? I raised her, Mal. I watched her grow from a naïve young girl into a strong, beautiful woman. I gave her everything. I _love_ her— with both my hearts. Is that not enough? Am _I_ not enough?”

Maleficent gave her a look of sympathy. “That is a question you must ask the Captain.”

Regina choked back a sob. “Please, Mal. Let me out of here. I need to see her.”

Maleficent shook her head. “I cannot. I am no longer the Sovereign. That honor belongs to my daughter, Lilith.”

The Queen’s eyes widened. “Lilith? You mean the Technician from Emma’s crew? She is your daughter? Oh, Maleficent, I had no idea. There was never any mention of where she was from, or who she was related to. If I had known, I would have reached out to you. I want to make amends, Mal, if you’ll allow me. I regret what happened between us, and I know there is nothing I can say or do to make up for it, but I would at least like the chance to try.”

The blonde just smiled faintly at her. “I _have_ forgiven you, Regina. I forgave you many years ago, just as I forgave Lilith. I am no longer the villain I once was. I have learned to forgive and to forget. The past is the past. I must turn my attention towards the future, and so must you, my friend.”

Maleficent extended a hand, which Regina took without hesitation. The brunette was stunned to find what felt like a small key in her lilac palm.

“You’re giving me a key? Why? Aren’t you worried you’ll be punished for this?”

The blonde just regarded her with a knowing smile. “I don’t know what you mean, Regina. I was never here.”

And as quickly as she had appeared, Maleficent was gone.


	36. Face to Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What you've all been waiting for :)

Regina crept towards the Apollo in the dead of night, moving slowly and silently through the shadows. To her surprise, the hatch opened up and allowed her to step aboard. The holographic face of August flickered to life before her.

_“Welcome back, Your Majesty.”_

“Oh, August,” the Queen breathed, “Is Emma here?”

_“She is in her quarters with Roni and the baby.”_

“Roni? You mean my clone?”

_“That is correct.”_

The brunette hesitated. “Why did you let me in? Were you expecting me?”

_“Yes. Ziggy informed me of your arrival. That is quite the formidable ship you have there, Your Majesty.”_

“Thank you, August. I need to see Emma. I need to see her and her child with my own eyes. My clone, as well. I have to know how exactly that came to pass, and how I didn’t know about it sooner.”

She headed towards the Captain’s quarters and lifted her hand up to knock, but the door slid open before she had the chance, and she was left speechless by what— or rather, who— she found staring back at her, equally-dumbfounded. It was her clone. The same lilac skin, only void of scars, blemishes, and a tattoo. Deep purple eyes, like shimmering amethyst. Short, dark curls spilling down like chocolate waterfalls.

“You must be Roni,” the Queen said bitterly.

The other woman just swallowed and gave a slow nod. “Y-Yes,” she said, “I am.”

“Where is Emma?”

“Sleeping,” Roni said quietly, “She set up a crib for the baby just a short while ago. I assume you know about him, as well?”

“I do,” replied the Queen, “Tell me, _Roni,_ who is the father of this child?”

Roni shifted uncomfortably. “You will have to take that up with Emma,” she said quietly.

Regina frowned. “And why is that?”

“Because,” Roni said, “it is not my place to say.”

Regina nodded slowly. “Just tell me one thing.”

“I will answer any questions you have. I want to prove myself to you, just as I have proven myself to Emma.”

The Queen was stunned by Roni’s sincerity. “Do you love her?” she asked.

“With both my hearts,” said Roni, “She is the first person I have loved, and who has loved me in return.”

“What are you to her? A lover?”

“No. Only a friend. I do not know her touch. Not the way you do,” Roni told her, “Now I have a question, as well.”

“Ask away.”

“Where have you been all this time? Why couldn’t you have come sooner?”

Regina’s frown deepened. “You don’t think I did _everything I could_ to get here? I was stranded in the Capital, no thanks to that _bitch,_ Gemini— which reminds me— just how _did_ she clone me? It _was_ her, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” Roni said quietly, “I was spawned from your blood. She told me she cut you with her blade.”

The Queen grit her teeth. She started to respond, but a voice cut her off before she had the chance.

_“Regina?”_

It was Emma.

Roni stepped aside so that her golden-haired friend could get a look at the Queen, and vice-versa. Regina and Emma just gaped at one another, wide-eyed and completely in shock. They each stepped closer and reached out to touch each other, not knowing if they were dreaming or if this was all too real. Tears slipped down Regina’s cheeks as she cupped Emma’s face in her hands.

 _“Oh, Emma,”_ she rasped, “How I’ve missed you.”

She felt both her hearts begin to race as she looked the blonde up and down. Of course, the first thing she noticed was the Captain’s swollen stomach.

“Is it true?” she whispered, “Is it true that you have a child? A son?”

Emma could only nod.

“May I see him?” Regina asked, her eyes alight with hope and wonder, _“Please?”_

Emma responded by pulling the Queen into a near bone-crushing embrace, leaving the brunette completely stunned. After a moment, though it seemed like much longer, the Captain led her friend into the moonlit room and towards the tiny crib without so much as a word.

Regina peered down at the sleeping baby, mesmerized, and though she couldn’t find her voice, her presence alone seemed to rouse the child from his slumber. She expected him to cry, or at least put up a fuss, but instead, he just stared up at her with equally-wide— _equally-curious—_ eyes.

“What’s his name?” she murmured.

“Henry,” Emma said, ever so quietly, “His name is Henry.”

Regina turned to her with a look of awe. “You would name him after my father?”

Emma gave a small nod. “It seemed right. I hope you don’t mind.”

Regina slowly shook her head. “Of course I don’t mind. On the contrary, I feel honored. Blessed, even.”

She looked back down at the baby and gently stroked the top of his head. He grasped loosely at her lilac fingers, making her smile widen and her tears fall heavier.

“Look at you,” she rasped, _“Henry._ You are the spitting-image of your mother. It is an honor to meet you, little one. Perhaps you shall be a Captain one day, too.”

“Regina?” Emma asked quietly.

“Yes, dear?”

“We need to talk.”

\---

Regina felt as though both her hearts had been split wide open. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard— or rather, she didn’t _want_ to believe it. The thought of it alone left a sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wiped the tears from her friend’s face and brought her lips to the blonde’s temple, wrapping her arms around the weeping woman so as to provide some semblance of comfort.

“Oh, Emma,” she rasped, “I cannot express to you just how sorry I am. I never wanted you to believe that I had abandoned you. I never imagined you would. I would never abandon you, my darling. My shining star. Can you ever forgive me, Emma? For not being there for you? For not telling you the truth? I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t want you to think that your life had been a lie. I love you, my beautiful girl. I love you more than words can ever say. Know that if I’d had the chance, I would have come to your rescue in a heartbeat— or should I say, _two heartbeats?”_

 _“No,”_ came a voice. It was Roni. _“Make that four.”_

Regina turned to her with a faint smile. “Emma told me how you helped her when I couldn’t. How you helped deliver Henry, and comforted her when she needed it most. You have my gratitude. You have my utmost respect. You have my trust— _Roni.”_

Roni was stunned. “You— You don’t reject me? Even after all that I did?”

Regina stood up and approached her clone slowly, pulling the woman into a warm embrace, and her smile grew even wider.

“I accept you for what you are. You are a part of me, and I will love you as Emma does. You are wonderful. I couldn’t have chosen a better companion for her, nor a better godmother for Henry. I was in a dark place once, but I was given a second chance, and I changed. And now, dear Roni, so have you. That is what _truly_ matters.”

Roni tried to find words, but none ever came. She could do nothing but sob quietly onto the Queen’s shoulder.


	37. Family

Regina was holding Henry in her arms, smiling sweetly at him as he stared up at her with wide, curious eyes. She chuckled softly when he grasped at her lilac finger with his tiny hands. He was a little over a month old now, and he seemed to be growing like a weed.

Emma watched the two with a faint smile, reflecting both joy and sorrow all at once. She was grateful that Regina and Henry were getting along so well, yet at the same time, she couldn’t get her mind off of what had happened to her all those months ago. She bit her lip and turned away as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Regina took notice of this immediately and looked over at her with concern.

“Emma?” asked the brunette, “Are you alright?”

The Captain reluctant turned back to face the Queen with a look of misery. “Not really, no. I’m trying to be strong, but It still gets to me. I feel like such a failure.”

“It— _oh, Emma,”_ the Queen said, shocked, “You are _not_ a failure. Do you hear me? What happened to you is not your fault. It doesn’t make you weak, either. On the contrary, you are stronger than ever before. You are a _survivor,_ Emma. You didn’t let yourself crumble before that _monster._ You built yourself back up again and you destroyed him. You didn’t take your anger out on this precious child, despite the way he was conceived. Instead, you chose to raise him, and to love him with every ounce of your being. That takes true strength. True compassion.”

Emma attempted to stifle a sob, but was unsuccessful. Regina sat on the edge of the bed and carefully handed the baby to her.

“Tell me something, Emma,” the brunette said softly, “Does Henry remind you of _Him?”_

The Captain hesitated. “Yes,” she rasped, “but I couldn’t be more grateful that he doesn’t have that _bastard’s_ eyes. I don’t think I could bear it if he did.”

“What would you have done?”

Emma frowned. “…What are you asking me, Regina? Are you asking if I would have _killed_ him?”

“Partially,” the Queen confessed, “but also if you would have given him up.”

 _“Never,”_ Emma said firmly, “I would never do such a thing. Henry isn’t a _thing._ I never saw him as just a fetus, even before I knew he was a boy. I saw him as a baby. A living being, with potential to do something truly great. He’s _my son—_ my own flesh and blood— and regardless of how he came to be, I couldn’t possibly be any prouder of him. I love him like I’ve never loved anyone else before. I love him because he came from me. To me, he’s truly a miracle. I want so badly to be able to go back and change things, but at the same time, I know that if I did, I wouldn’t have Henry, and now that I have him, I wouldn’t trade him for the world. Hell, I wouldn’t trade him for _the universe.”_

Regina offered a somber smile. “It pleases me to hear you say that, Emma. You say you couldn’t be prouder of Henry, but you must know that _I_ couldn’t be any prouder of _you,_ my little star.”

The Queen reached under the blonde’s pillow and retrieved the water-horse, handing it to the entranced baby. Henry reached for it excitedly, smiling happily as he got his tiny hands on the soft water-horse. This brought a smile to both Emma and Regina’s faces.

“He certainly seems to like it,” the Queen noted, “Hopefully it will help him sleep, just as it helped you.”

“Yeah,” Emma said quietly, “but I keep panicking and waking up all during the night. I can’t stop thinking he might suddenly stop breathing, and I don’t know what I would do if that happened.”

Regina placed a hand on Emma’s arm in a show of comfort. “Don’t worry, Emma. Roni and I will look after him when you’re sleeping. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes. You need your rest.”

“You would do that? For me?”

“Of course. Don’t you know by now that I would do anything for you?” asked Regina, “Now I shall extend that courtesy to this precious bundle of joy you’ve got here.”

Emma gave a faint smile. “Regina?”

“Yes, dear?”

“I want you to be his godmother, too.”

The Queen’s eyes were alight with wonder. “It would be my honor,” she said with a slight bow of her head.

The Captain’s smile widened. “Will you tell me the story again?” she asked, “You know, the one about ‘Van Halen?’”

Regina chuckled. “Haven’t you heard it enough by now?”

Emma smirked. _“Never.”_

“Very well. It all started in the Capital….”

_The cloaked figure made their way through the ruins of the city, keeping their hood up and their head down. They wore a white mask to disguise their face as well as their voice. Beneath this mask was the scarred, bruised face of the disheartened Queen, desperate to escape the crumbling remains of her once-great kingdom. Her people had been evacuated. Aside from the Grawlers, she was the only one left. She had barely escaped the Hyperion after it crashed into the sea. Fortunately, her people could hold their breath for an abnormally-long period of time._

_She was alone when the ship went down. Well, aside from Ziggy, of course. She had managed to obtain the data-disk containing all his memories and personality and sealed it in an empty flask she’d found in the canteen. Once she was back on land, she started killing the Grawlers. She stayed hidden in the daylight and only emerged once the sun set, picking off the last of those monsters, one by one. She’d blown up the tunnels, but Gemini had yet to implode, and there were still some Grawlers left. It was at that point that Regina started wondering if the clone had been in the sewers at all._

_The Queen had been stranded in the city for many months now, unable to find a ship she could use without being caught. She eventually realized that she had only one chance of getting to Drakken’haem— of getting back to_ Emma— _and that was by stowing away on one of the freighters that the Grawlers had commandeered. She took out the few of them that were left, stopping their hearts with a small stun-blaster set to_ maximum.

_After that, she managed to sneak onto the freighter. The ship was destined for Pri’miteas, but it was close enough to Ae’jrabbi that she could make it there in one of the escape vessels, and so that was where she hid. She knew of an arms dealer on Ae’jrabbi, one she took no pleasure in doing business with, but was her only chance at procuring a new ship. It took her an infuriatingly-long time to reach the barracks containing the stolen starships, and for reasons she couldn’t understand, Jafar had known who she was, even with the mask disguising her face and voice._

_It was almost as if he had been warned of her arrival beforehand— which meant someone knew she was heading to Ae’jrabbi, and that she would be looking for a starship. Someone had to have been watching her. She presumed it to be Gemini, but how would Gemini possibly have known her intentions?_

_That was the one mystery she had yet to uncover._

\---

Meanwhile, within the remains of a dying planet, a star was growing dim. Gemini’s body had begun decaying after Regina had blown up the Underground, killing nearly all of the Grawlers as well as one of her most-favored slaves, the green man called _Loxley._ She had been forced to replace her decomposing flesh with machines, just like the Metal Man who had brought her into this world. Both her arms were now upgraded, along with her left eye and half of her right leg. Her heart had started failing her as well, so she’d opened up her chest and attached a number of large cables to it in a last-stitch effort to keep her going. It was excruciating, but she would never admit such a thing, not even to herself.

She pushed herself to keep moving. She couldn’t die. Not yet. Not ever. She needed the life-force of Emma Swan to rejuvenate her, almost as badly as she needed her prized plaything to come and relieve her of her sexual frustrations. She limped over to the window and stared out into the starry night sky. Her metallic fists tightened upon the sill.

“Where are you, my pet?” she murmured, “It has been nearly a year, now. Why have you not returned to me?”

\---

Roni awoke with a gasp, drenched in a cold sweat that left her trembling and breathing shakily. This, in turn, woke both Regina and Emma. They each looked to her with concern.

“Roni?” Emma asked softly, “You okay?”

The brunette hesitated. “I— I was just having a bad dream, is all,” she rasped, “Apologies for disrupting your sleep. It won’t happen again.”

With that, she lied back down and turned away from the two women, burying her face in the pillow and doing her best to pretend as though she wasn’t sobbing. Emma and Regina exchanged a worried glance before looking back at their friend.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Roni,” said Regina, “Would you like to talk about it?”

Roni remained silent and unmoving for the longest time, but she finally did turn back around with tears streaking her lilac face. She bit her lip, seeming unsure as to what she could possibly say.

“I was dreaming of the time,” she paused, and her breath hitched in her throat, “the _times_ that Gemini took advantage of me. She made me do _things._ Things I didn’t want to do. Things I never want to do again. She told me I was hers, but there wasn’t anything _romantic_ about it. Not the way you claim Emma, nor the way Emma claims you. You belong to each other spiritually. Gemini just saw me as an object. A mere possession. Here, I feel like a _person._ You both treat me with dignity and respect. You have accepted me as your friend, and even allowed me to indulge in the comfort of your bed. You two have given me more than anyone else ever has. For that, I am forever grateful.”

Emma was quiet for a moment. “What do you want most in life, Roni?”

“Someone to love me,” said the clone, “the way you love Regina.”

Unexpectedly, Regina reached over the blonde and brought a hand to Roni’s, squeezing it with a surprising tenderness.

“You _are_ loved, Roni. Don’t you see that?”

“But I haven’t been given the chance to make love to another person,” the clone murmured, “I have only ever been tormented by Gemini.”

Regina shook her head. “Love is about so much more than sex,” she said, “It is more than physical contact. It is deeper. It is _spiritual._ What Gemini did to you was evil, plain and simple. That isn’t love. That was her trying to gain power over you. Dominate you. You will never know such torment here. Not with us. We will be here for you whenever you need us, Roni. You are a part of our little family now.”

Roni’s eyes widened. “Family?” she whispered.

Both Emma and Regina nodded, leaving the clone in stunned silence. She could do nothing but stare back at them in awe. Her family. She had a family. Emma, Regina, and of course, little Henry.

 _“Thank you,”_ she breathed, _“Thank you.”_


	38. More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but important*

A few months had passed since Roni poured her heart out to Emma and Regina, and she was feeling discontent. No matter how hard she tried, nothing she did was good enough for the Sovereign or the other crewmates. She was still a villain in their eyes. A _kidnapper._ She did everything she could to please them. She was nice. At least, she thought she was. She feared they would never come to accept her, and that broke both her hearts.

She was staring out the window in Emma’s quarters when the blonde walked in, carrying little Henry, who was babbling nonsensically. She turned to find Emma grinning down at the baby, cooing softly at him as he reached for her pale face. Emma seemed to notice her staring and looked up, only for that beautiful smile to falter upon seeing the pained look in her eyes.

“Roni? You okay?”

“They hate me,” Roni said quietly.

Emma frowned. “Who does?”

_“Everyone.”_

Emma approached the brunette and offered a look of sympathy. “Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks of you, Roni. What matters is whether or not you accept yourself. Do you?”

Roni’s eyes widened. “I’ve never considered that,” she confessed, “I— I don’t think I do. I’m still coming to terms with my identity. I’m Roni. I know that, but what is it that makes me different from Regina? We share the same face. The same body. The same DNA. I was spawned from her blood, after all, but do we share the same soul, as well?”

“You are your own individual, Roni. You’re different because of your experiences. You have your own thoughts, feelings, and desires. That makes your soul different, too. You don’t need to be like Regina.”

“But if I was like her, then you would love me.”

“Roni, I _do_ love you,” Emma said, “but what Regina and I share is something unique. There is nothing else like it. You’re my friend, and I—”

“But I don’t want to be ‘just friends,’” Roni argued, “I want to be _more!”_

“I’m sorry,” said the Captain, “I can’t betray Regina like that.”

“We all share a bed each night, Emma,” said the clone, “Why can’t we share each other, too?”

Emma’s eyes widened. “You— You want _that_ kind of relationship?”

“Don’t you? I see the way you look at me, Emma. I know you see her whenever you look at me. You have ever since the night I kissed you. I love you, Emma. I also love Regina. I love her because you do, and because she loves you just as much. How I long to revel in your combined passion. My hearts yearn for your touch. Gemini took me without asking, but I want to give myself to you, _willingly._ I want to feel your strong arms holding me in the night. I want to feel your soft lips ghosting over my flesh. Every night, as I lay beside you and Regina, I feel my body pulsing with need, and I crave that sweet sensation I have known only in my dreams.”

Emma was speechless. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond. However, she didn’t have to say anything. Both she and Roni turned when they heard someone clear their throat from the doorway. It was the Queen.

“Regina?” asked Emma, “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough, Emma,” replied the monarch, “Long enough.” She bore a knowing expression. “I think we all need to sit down and talk about this.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “What? You mean you _want_ to be polyamorous?”

Regina frowned. “I didn’t say that, Emma. I just want to understand where Roni is coming from. I think that is the best option, here.”

And that was exactly what they did.

\---

Roni hugged herself tightly as she waited in the Helm, staring out into the distance. August’s holographic face flickered before her with a look of concern.

_“Roni? What’s troubling you?”_

The clone sighed. “Emma and Regina are discussing my role in their relationship.”

_“Do you love them?”_

Roni gave a small nod. “Very much so.”

_“And do they love you?”_

“I believe so, yes.”

_“Then you have nothing to worry about.”_

Roni started to respond, but was cut off by the sound of Emma’s door sliding open. She turned to find the Captain standing alongside Regina, both regarding her with faint smiles. Her hearts were pounding like violent war-drums within her chest, only growing faster when Regina approached her slowly and reached up to cup her face. They just about stopped when the brunette’s lips met hers in a soft kiss. She was left speechless, unable to do anything but stand there gaping at the Queen.

Regina’s smile widened, though only a little. “Come,” she murmured, “We must speak. All of us.”


	39. Malacoda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update

Henry was now seven months old, and had just started crawling, as well as eating solid food. As if that wasn’t precious enough, Emma almost couldn’t believe it when she heard him utter his first word. He was crawling towards her one morning while she was getting dressed.

_“Mama.”_

Emma gasped, staring down at him with tears in her eyes. She knelt down to pick him up and held him close to her.

“Did I hear that right, little man?” she murmured, “Did you say ‘mama?’”

Henry smiled at her, and it proved contagious. She grinned back at him, her eyes gleaming with joyful tears, and quickly exited her quarters. She found Regina and Roni engaging in an intense game of _Shaadra,_ the Galan equivalent of chess. They each paused and looked up at her in confusion as well as mild concern when they noticed her tears.

“Emma?” asked Regina, “Are you alright?”

Emma nodded quickly. “I’m better than alright,” she said, “Henry just said his first word.”

The two brunettes gasped and approached her quickly, forgetting all about their game and focusing solely on the baby.

“What was it?” asked Roni.

“Mama,” the Captain replied, “He said _mama.”_

Regina and Roni marveled over the precious child, each of them cooing softly to him while he babbled. Then, while grasping at Emma’s hair, he uttered the word a second time.

_“Mama.”_

\---

As the months went by, ‘Mama’ eventually became ‘Mommy,’ and Emma couldn’t have been more ecstatic. She was feeding Henry some mashed vegetables one afternoon while he sat in her lap. To her surprise and delight, he was hardly spitting any of it up. He even seemed to enjoy it. He had yet to develop a craving for blood, for which Emma was immensely grateful.

Not long after, he began to walk. He would stumble from time to time, but for the most part, he was well-balanced. He was a truly happy child. He found a best friend in Lilith’s daughter, whom she named _Malacoda_ in honor of her deceased aunt. For one reason or another, this led Regina to begin behaving strangely. When Emma finally confronted her about it one night in their shared quarters, Regina reluctantly came out with the truth.

_It was thirty years before Regina’s trek to Earth. She was visiting Drakken’haem with her father to create a potential peace-treaty between her people and the Draconians. They had bountiful resources and a strong army that would be most useful._

_Maleficent was hesitant but willing to meet with the Galan Queen. Her older sister Malacoda, however, was not so trusting._

_“I don’t trust her, Maleficent.”_

_“You don’t trust_ anyone, _Sister,” said Maleficent._

 _“That isn’t true. I trust_ you.”

_The Sovereign smiled. “And for that, I am forever grateful,” she said, “but I feel this treaty will benefit us all. Surely you understand why I have agreed to this.”_

_“I do,” said Malacoda, “I just cannot help but think something terrible will happen. I say this not just as your Advisor, but as your sister. Mother tasked me with protecting you, no matter the cost. I swore a blood-oath—”_

_“I know, Sister. I was there. If anything goes wrong, I will have you and my guards to protect me.”_

_“Couldn’t we put this off until after your child is born?”_

_“Alas, no,” said Maleficent._

_“What if the Queen intends on stealing the baby?”_

_“I highly doubt that. She won’t be here long enough for that, anyhow. She and her people should only stay for a week or so. I’m not due for another month.”_

_“But the child could come early—”_

_“Malacoda,_ please! _Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”_

_“No! I’m doing my duty, as your guardian and Advisor. I cannot take this lightly, little sister, and neither should you. I could never live with myself if something happened to you or your child. Speaking of which, I don’t trust Galdr. He possesses a most devious aura.”_

_“Enough,” Maleficent snapped, “I will not have you speaking ill of my mate.”_

_Malacoda sighed. “If you will not listen to me, then why do you keep me around?”_

_“Because you are my sister,” said Maleficent, “and because I love you.”_

_“Then will you at least_ consider _my advice?”_

_“I always do, Sister,” said the Sovereign, “and I always will.”_

_“Do you promise?”_

_“I swear it, upon Mother’s grave.”_

_Malacoda nodded. She knew her younger sister’s words rang true, but she still could not shake the feeling that something awful was going to happen, and soon._

_When Queen Regina arrived on the Hyperion, she was met by a legion of untrusting Draconian warriors. She hadn’t exactly expected a warm welcome, but this seemed rather excessive. Then again, the Draconians did things a little differently than her people. Regina stepped out of the Hyperion, accompanied by her Si-Com, Kathryn, and a small squadron of Watchmen. The rest of the crew, along with her father, remained aboard the ship. One of the Watchmen was a Draconian, so he served as a translator._

_“I am Queen Regina of Skráv Jangála. I have come to seek audience with your Sovereign, so that we may form an alliance.”_

_The Draconian Watchman relayed this information in his harsh native tongue._

_**“E h’yu Emfri Rae’jinha a Zak’kora Toro. E ga’an kun’na no zik’ii odanda vec i’orr Nagai’iros, ta tuun ro mana vorg ec turei’isa.”** _

_One of the warriors, a blue-skinned man, spoke up. **“Ro ba’har zind i’o no sa Nagai’iros.”**_

_“They will bring us to the Sovereign,” said the Watchman._

_**“Va i’o mas’ak illa’i duka i’orr vold-zind’r.”** _

_“He says we have to lay down our blood-bringers. Our weapons, he means.”_

_Regina was about to respond, but another voice rang out instead. It was a woman’s voice, clearly Draconian, but speaking in semi-decent Galan._

_“Welcome,_ Rey-he-na. _I am called Sovereign, but you may call me_ Maleficent.”

_The warriors parted, revealing a tall woman with a head of gold and serpentine eyes. Her skin was pale like fresh cream, with just a touch of purple here and there. She was heavily pregnant. Her wings were draped around her like a leathery cloak. She walked with confidence, peering down her nose at the Queen to show just who was in charge here._

_“Keep your weapons,” she said, “Come. This way.”_

_She turned and walked back into the imposing fortress, not waiting around to see if anyone was following. She already knew they were. She led them into the Fortress, where they were joined by another blonde, who was somehow even more intimidating. This woman wore a dark green gown, while Maleficent’s was a deep amethyst._

_“This is Malacoda. My sister and Advisor.”_

_Malacoda’s eyes were near-identical to Maleficent’s. They narrowed in suspicion as they regarded Regina, who was admittedly unnerved by the whole ordeal. Maleficent seemed to notice the thick tension. It would have been impossible not to._

_“Pay her no mind. She trusts only me.”_

_Malacoda spoke to her younger sister in their native tongue, for she was not as fluent in Galan, and did not wish for Regina to eavesdrop._

_“I do not trust her, Sister. She reeks of trouble.”_

_“Worry not,” said Maleficent, “She will be gone within a few days’ time.”_

_Little did they know, so would Malacoda._

_Everything went downhill so quickly. Clearly, someone had been plotting Maleficent’s death for quite some time. An energy-beam was fired, seemingly out of nowhere, at the Sovereign while she signed the peace-treaty. It struck Maleficent in the right shoulder as well as her wing. Regina shot up, grabbed her gun, and began scanning the crowd for whoever might have done it._

_Malacoda interpreted this as another attempt on her sister’s life and lunged at the Queen. They wrestled for the gun. She managed to get it away from Regina, but in doing so, found herself being shot in the chest by one of the Queen’s Watchmen. She gasped for breath, but none ever came. There was a burning, gaping hole in the center of her chest. The gun slipped from her hand, and she collapsed onto the ground._

_Dead._

_Needless to say, the peace treaty was burned up in Maleficent’s furious inferno. She transformed into a colossal beast, chasing after the Queen and the Watchmen in primal rage, but alas, her size did nothing but slow her down. They all got away, save for the Watchman who had actually fired at Malacoda._

_Whether by chance or by deliberation, that particular Watchman— a man called Colter— was left behind, completely at the mercy of the Draconians, who were undoubtedly out for blood. His blood. His fate was sealed that day._

_Regina and Maleficent had actually gotten along quite well. Alas, their friendship was short-lived. It ended the moment Colter shot Malacoda. It mattered not that Regina hadn’t pulled the trigger. As Queen, she was the representative of her people, and anything they did was entirely on her. That was why she had no choice but to flee. It was quite clear that she would never be welcome back on Drakken’haem._

_At least, it had been all those years ago._

“I still don’t understand why I haven’t been thrown back in that dungeon,” said Regina.

“Lilith told me she doesn’t blame you for what happened between you and Maleficent,” said Emma, “but I just now figured out what that was. That’s why she let you go free. She said if Maleficent forgave you, then so should she.”

\---

When Regina and Emma went to their room that night, they found Roni sitting on the bed, watching with a smile as Henry slept soundly in his crib. She looked up at the two women in surprise when she noticed them enter, but her smile remained.

“Hello,” she said softly, “I was wondering when you would show up.”

“Has Henry been any trouble?” asked Emma.

Roni shook her head. “Not at all.”

The clone moved over to the far side of the bed, closest to the wall, so that she could make room for the others. Emma was sandwiched between her and Regina as always. Both brunettes curled up against the Captain, holding her close, and the three of them shared a soft smile.

“Goodnight, Emma,” the brunettes said in unison.

Emma’s eyes slipped shut. “Goodnight, twins,” she said softly, “Night, Henry.”


	40. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter for the Hyperion, but I am absolutely writing a sequel! Stay tuned!

_Twenty years later…_

The tall, broad-shouldered man was chatting away with the attractive bartender, half-drunk and red in the face.

“You’re awfully beautiful, Miss,” he said, “How about you and I get comfortable in my starship? I’m a Captain, you know.”

The bartender arched an eyebrow. “You? A Captain? You don’t look like one.”

The man grinned at her. “Sure am. The name’s Henry. _Henry Swan.”_

“Swan? You mean like Emma Swan?”

“The one and only.”

“Are you related?”

“She’s my mother,” said Henry, “and it’s funny you should mention that, because she’s the reason I’m here.”

He put down a golden disk with the royal sigil embedded in the surface. The bartender frowned at it in confusion. She locked eyes with him and shook her head.

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

Henry sat back, now looking composed and (almost) completely sober.

“I think you know exactly what it means.” He lowered his voice. _“Jack.”_

The woman gasped and went to reach under the counter, but froze when she noticed the gun Henry had pointed discreetly at her. She locked eyes with him in anger and confusion, speaking through gritted teeth.

“Who are you, really? What is it you want?”

“I told you, I’m Captain Henry Swan,” said the man, “and what I want— no, what I _need—_ is your help.”

“With _what?”_ hissed the bartender.

“I hear you’re the greatest bounty-hunter in all of Misthaven.”

Henry tapped the golden disk, never once breaking eye contact with her.

_“I need you to help me find my mother.”_


End file.
